India outclassed England in the first-ever Women's Test match played at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground.
India completed an emphatic 270-run victory over England on Monday (July 13), marking a historic triumph in the first-ever Women's Test match played at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground.
Defending a massive target of 457 runs, the visitors wrapped up the game before lunch on the fourth morning by bowling out the hosts for 186.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was asked if she could have scripted a better ending. To which, she replied, "Definitely not. God is a better writer. He's written it very well."
Kaur explicitly credited openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma for absorbing the pressure and laying a commanding foundation.
"Yes, definitely. I think our openers have been our biggest strength. The way they batted in the first half, I think that was something very special to watch. They're the ones who always take the responsibility and take all the pressure out from us. In this Test match also, the way they batted was outstanding to watch."
Harmanpreet noted how meaningful this specific Test win was for boosting the team's morale following the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage exit, as the side rarely gets to play in the longest format.
She also acknowledged the critical role of support staff in preparing the players for the rigors of Test cricket.
"I think it's the effort the entire team is putting in, and especially our support staff. Many of them have played a lot of Test cricket. They know how Test cricket moves, and they're the ones giving us feedback each and every moment. Because of them we were able to perform. I really want to thank Amol sir and the entire team for the way they supported us during this Test match and the previous one we played."
"I think the last couple of series have not been in our favour. But I know that's the time when things can go here and there. The way our support staff kept us together, that is something to watch. Again, I want to give credit to Amol sir and the entire support staff. They kept us together. I know the summer in England didn't go the way we wanted, but we came back strongly in the Test match. I'm really happy that we're taking some good memories back home now."
Wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia etched her name into the history books by scoring a magnificent 113 in the second innings, becoming the first-ever woman to score a Test century at Lord’s.
Kaur was effusive in praise of Yastika, and said: "She's a great batter. We had a very strong feeling about her, and that's why we put her in the XI. I'm really happy with the way she batted."
She also reserved appreciation for India's sharp fielding standards, singling out Richa Ghosh for her exceptional performance while also crediting the fielding coach for working tirelessly.
"We always have one player who gets our fielding award. The way our entire team fielded in this Test match was something very special to watch because fielding is an area we've worked very hard on as a group. When you see the results, you feel really happy. Our fielding coach has been working so hard for so many years now, so I'm really happy with the way the entire team fielded, especially Richa's performance. Everybody came together and did the job for the team."
Looking ahead, Harmanpreet Kaur hoped Lord’s would get to host many more women's red-ball games.
"Playing at Lord's is always special. I really want to thank the people who thought about bringing one Test match here, and hopefully in future we'll get many more. These kinds of matches bring a lot of happiness and excitement. Hopefully we'll keep getting more Test matches and keep performing the way we are doing," she concluded.