India Women ended their England tour on a historic note, defeating the hosts by a commanding 270 runs in the first-ever women’s Test at Lord’s on Monday. Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, the visitors produced a complete performance to register a memorable victory and finish the tour with silverware after enduring a difficult few weeks.
The triumph was significant on multiple fronts. Yastika Bhatia became the first woman to score a Test century at Lord’s, while pacer Kranti Gaud etched her name into history by claiming the first five-wicket haul in a women’s Test at the iconic venue. Their performances earned them places on the prestigious Lord’s Honours Boards and helped India bounce back from the disappointment of missing out on the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 title.
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India had begun the England tour on a disappointing note, losing the three-match T20I series 2-1 before falling short in the T20 World Cup. However, the emphatic Test victory ensured the campaign ended on a high. It was India’s ninth win in 43 women’s Tests and their first Test triumph since defeating South Africa in 2024.
Harmanpreet also strengthened her impressive record as India’s Test captain. The victory marked her fourth win in six Tests, making her the most successful captain in the history of India’s women’s Test cricket, surpassing Mithali Raj’s tally of three wins. Since taking charge, Harmanpreet has guided India to Test victories over England, Australia and South Africa.
India laid the foundation with 285 in the first innings, courtesy of Smriti Mandhana’s 83, Harmanpreet’s 58 and Deepti Sharma’s 57. Kranti then dismantled England with figures of 5/37, restricting them to 170. In the second innings, Yastika Bhatia’s brilliant 113 powered India to 341, setting England a daunting target of 457. The hosts were eventually dismissed for 186, with Sneh Rana claiming 4/42 to seal a famous victory.
