London, July 12 (IANS) Just days before India’s one-off Test against England at Lord’s, Kranti Gaud spoke of a dream shared by every fast bowler walking into the Home of Cricket. In a video now shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the pacer revealed how she, along with all the bowlers on her side, wished to have their name on the historic Test honours board and script history.
By the end of Day 2 of the Test on Saturday, the 22-year-old had turned those words into reality. After producing a magnificent five-wicket haul to bowl England out for 170 and hand India a crucial first-innings lead, Kranti became the first woman in the history of the game to have her name inscribed on the prestigious Test honours board at Lord’s.
“The Lord’s Honours Board is very famous because the name of the person who picks five wickets is noted on the board. We are also very excited to take five wickets and get our name on the board,” Kranti had said before the one-off Test commenced, in a video shared by BCCI on Sunday.
The landmark moment was captured in a video shared by the BCCI, where Kranti was seen walking up to the honours board and carefully writing her name among the game’s greats. Watching from afar were her family members, who joined via video call to witness one of the proudest moments of her career.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur was also seen congratulating Kranti’s family, applauding the young pacer’s performance in a touching exchange after the historic achievement.
As Kranti completed the inscription, her teammates and members of the support staff gathered around the honours board, breaking into loud applause to celebrate a feat never before achieved by a woman cricketer at Lord’s.
Kranti had delivered the spell that made the occasion possible. She removed Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and Lauren Bell to finish with a memorable five-wicket haul, playing the starring role as India tightened their grip on the Test.
The performance also earned Kranti a place in Indian cricket history. At 22, she became the youngest Indian woman fast bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in Test cricket, surpassing Jhulan Goswami, who was 28 days older when she achieved the feat against England in New Delhi in 2005.
Kranti is now only the third Indian woman pacer to register a Test five-for, joining Jhulan Goswami and Gargi Banerjee in the elite list. It is also the first five-wicket haul by an Indian woman fast bowler in Test cricket since Goswami claimed five wickets in both innings against England at Taunton in 2006.
India ended Day 2 on a commanding note and will head into Day 3 at 154/1, with a 269-run lead.
–IANS
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