Sports

IIE DIGITAL: India produced an outstanding all round performance to defeat England by 270 runs in the first women's Test at Lord's Cricket Ground, completing a memorable victory on the fourth day.

Set a massive target of 457 runs, the highest ever in a women's Test, England were bowled out for 186 shortly before lunch on Monday. Spinners Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma shared the final four wickets as India sealed a dominant win.

Rana led the bowling attack with figures of 4 for 42. She dismissed England's leading scorer Amy Jones for 54 before bowling Sophie Ecclestone for 50 to end the match. Deepti Sharma also made an important contribution by removing Issy Wong and Lauren Bell as England's innings came to a swift close.

The victory gave India a memorable finish to their tour of England. Earlier this month, they had experienced disappointment at Lord's after being knocked out of the Women's T20 World Cup in the group stage by eventual champions Australia. This Test triumph provided the team with a much happier memory at the iconic venue.

England struggled to adapt to the demands of the longer format after playing the T20 World Cup final against Australia only a few days earlier. The defeat became England's second largest loss by runs in women's Test cricket and their fourth defeat in the last five Tests. It also marked the final international appearance of experienced batters Tammy Beaumont and former captain Heather Knight.

The match also witnessed historic achievements for India. Seam bowler Kranti Gaud became the first woman to claim a five wicket haul in a women's Test at Lord's after taking 5 for 37 during England's first innings. Wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia also created history by becoming the first woman to score a Test century at the ground. Her impressive knock of 113 formed the foundation of India's second innings total of 341 for 7 declared.

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur praised her batting unit, especially the performances of the top order. She commended Smriti Mandhana for scoring half centuries in both innings and expressed her confidence in Yastika Bhatia, saying the team had always believed she would make a significant contribution.

Gaud, who was named Player of the Match after claiming seven wickets across both innings, described the achievement as a dream come true. She said she had always hoped to earn a place on the Lord's honours board and credited the coaching staff for encouraging her to focus on bowling the right length consistently.

England coach Charlotte Edwards admitted that her side had failed to perform to their potential throughout the match. While expressing disappointment with the result, she also praised India for their disciplined display with both bat and ball.

Captain Nat Sciver Brunt acknowledged that the short gap between the T20 World Cup and the Test match had been challenging. However, she said international players must be prepared to recover quickly and adjust to different formats.

England resumed the final day on 130 for 6 with only a slim chance of chasing the record target. Amy Jones fought hard with a determined half century but added only two more runs before being dismissed. Although India missed a couple of catching opportunities, England's innings ended soon afterwards, allowing the visiting team to celebrate a famous victory. While the attendance on the final morning was modest, the overall crowd of 37,846 across the four days set a new attendance record for a women's Test at Lord's.