Yastika Bhatia entered the history books with a brilliant maiden Test century as she became the first woman to score a Test hundred at Lord’s Cricket Ground in the ongoing one-off Test against England.The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman reached the triple-digit mark on Day 3, i.e. July 12, with an Issy Wong-penned single, and subsequently earned applause from all corners of the iconic venue. She took off her helmet, raised her bat to greet the crowd and teammates, and took a bow on the field in an emotional celebration as her name was destined to be inducted into the prestigious Lord’s Honors Committee.Bhatia ended up walking away with a brilliant knock of 113 off 158 balls (14 boundaries). Sophie Ecclestone It triggered an untimely high kick, which was safely caught by Maddie Villiers at the time. As she went back, all the people of the Lord stood up.
India’s historic feat
Bhatia’s innings was not only her first century in a Test match, it was also the highest score by an Indian woman in the third or fourth innings of a Test match.Highest score in 3rd/4th innings of India Women’s Test:
- 113 – Yashtika Bhatia vs England Home (2026)
- 98 – Sandhya Agarwal vs New Zealand Lucknow (1985)
- 83 – Sandhya Agarwal vs Australia Wankhede (1984)
- 80* – Snellana vs England, Bristol (2021)
- 75 – Gaj Banerjee vs England, Blackpool (1986)
- 72 – Gaj Banerjee vs Australia Wankhede (1984)
Her century came as a crucial moment for India, with the historic knock giving the visitors a huge lead of over 400 runs. Backed by Smriti Mandhana’s 70, India tightened their grip in the one-off Test after defeating England by 170 in the first innings. After starting the second innings with a 115-run lead, India continued to add runs and are now on the verge of winning their maiden Women’s Test at Lord’s.
