India completed the historic one-off Women’s Lord’s Test almost flawlessly on day two, leaving England with a tough task ahead. After pummeling the home team for just 170 runs in the first innings and taking a 115-run lead, the visitors batted at 154 for 1 in the second innings, extending their overall advantage to 269 runs with 9 wickets in hand.If the opener belonged to India’s experienced batsmen, the second day’s match was decided by a brilliant performance from Kranti Gaud, before Smriti Mandhana once again underlined why she remains the backbone of India’s batting line-up.
Kranti Gaud creates a career-defining spell
England resumed the match at 21/1, hoping to erase India’s first-innings score of 285. However, they were met with India’s fast attack. Gode ​​removed Maya Buchir early and then Snee Rana broke a good partnership by dismissing Amy Jones, whose brisk 52 off 62 balls was the only bright spot in England’s innings.England’s resistance soon evaporated after Jones left. Goad attacked the stumps mercilessly, extracting movement from the main surface and exposing the lower order through disciplined seam bowling. She ended the match with a memorable five-wicket haul and became the youngest Indian women’s fast bowler to register a Test five-wicket haul, surpassing Julan Goswami’s previous record.Her performance also marked the first time a pace bowler has taken five wickets in a Women’s Test match since Ellyse Perry in 2015, with England’s 170 becoming their third-lowest total in the first innings at home against India.
Mandana and Shafali close door on England
With a healthy lead in the first innings, India resisted any temptation to chase quick runs. Instead, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma batted with aplomb to blunt England’s new-ball attack before steadily taking control of the game.The duo put up 88 runs for the opening wicket and frustrated the home team for almost the entire game. In the process, they registered their seventh 50-plus partnership in women’s Tests, surpassing former Indian pair Sandhya Agarwal and Sudha Shah as the most-partnered partnership in the history of the format. Shafali looked smooth before hitting 33, trying to take on Sophie Ecclestone, but each dismissal did little to slow India’s progress.
Mandhana leads again
Mandhana continued her excellent Test run with another assured innings, remaining unbeaten at stumps for 69 runs. The left-hander combined patience with elegant batting and rarely caused any sustained pressure on England’s bowlers.She then found another reliable partner in Yastika Bhatia, who scored a placid 39 not out. The duo combined for an unbeaten 50 to extend India’s lead to over 250, leaving England barely inspired as they entered the third day.
India achieves historic win in cricket’s homeland
With a 269-run lead, nine wickets intact and six matches remaining, India firmly dominated the third day.
| bureau | Fraction | top performer |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Women – First Game | Chapter 285 All out | Smriti Mandhana 83, Harmanpreet Kaur 58, Deepti Sharma 57; Sophie Ecclestone 3/68 |
| England Women – Game 1 | 170 All out | Emmy Jones 52, Natsif Brent 44; Krantigold 5/37, Sayalisat Gare 2/40, Snellana 2/41 |
| Indian Women – Second Game | 154/1 (42 overs) | Smriti Mandhana 69*, Yastika Bhatia 39*, Shafali Verma 33; Sophie Ecclestone 1/46 |
| game status | India women’s football team leads by 269 points | 9 wickets in hand |
