00:06India's women's cricket team scripted history with a sensational 270-run victory over England
00:13in the first-ever women's test at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground in London.
00:18Chasing a record-breaking target of 457, England were balled out for just 186 shortly before lunch
00:26on the fourth and final day, handing India a memorable triumph at the home of cricket.
00:32The landmark victory was powered by India's disciplined bowling attack,
00:37with spinners Snehrana and Deepti Sharma sharing the final four wickets as England's resistance
00:42finally came to an end. Snehrana starred with the ball, finishing with impressive figures of 4.42.
00:50She removed England's Amy Jones, who top-scored with 54, before wrapping up the match by bowling
00:57Sophie Ecclestone for 50. Deepti Sharma played the perfect supporting role, dismissing Issy Wong
01:05and Lauren Bell as England collapsed under pressure. The Indian bowlers maintained relentless discipline
01:11throughout the innings, leaving England with no route back into the contest. The celebrations
01:18were made even more special as Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendalkar watched from the stands
01:23while the women in blue completed one of the biggest victories in their test history.
01:28England entered the final innings needing a record-breaking 457 runs for victory,
01:35a target that proved far beyond their reach. Resuming day four at 130 for six, the hosts pinned
01:42their hopes on wicket-keeper Amy Jones, who had reached an unbitten half-century overnight.
01:49Jones added just two more runs to her overnight score before falling to Rana while attempting a
01:55pull shot to mid-wicket. Sophie Ecclestone offered late resistance with 50, but once she was balled by
02:02Rana, England's innings ended at 186. Although India dropped a couple of catches during the innings,
02:10England never seriously threatened the massive target. The vocal Indian supporters at Lord's
02:16celebrated as history unfolded on another sunny day in London. The test also became a personal
02:23milestone for two Indian stars. Kranti Godd became the first woman to claim a five-wicket haul in a
02:30women's test at Lord's after producing outstanding figures of 537 in England's first innings of 170.
02:39Godd was later named player of the match after also picking up to 54 in the second innings.
02:46Reflecting on her achievement, she said she had always dreamed of getting her name on the
02:51honours board at Lord's and credited the coaches for encouraging her to ball consistent lengths.
02:57Wicket-keeper batter Yastika Bhatia also entered the record books by becoming the first woman to score
03:03a test century at Lord's. Her brilliant 113, the first international century of her career,
03:11formed the backbone of India's commanding second innings total of 341 for seven declared.
03:18India captain Harmanpreet Kaur reserved special praise for her batting unit, especially the top order,
03:24after opener Smriti Mandana registered half centuries in both innings.
03:30Kaur also praised Yastika Bhatia, revealing she always had faith in the wicket-keeper batter and
03:36was delighted to see her justify that belief with a match-winning century.
03:41The all-round effort with both bat and ball reflected India's complete dominance throughout the four-day contest.
03:48The defeat was a bitter one for England. It marked their second-heaviest defeat in women's test cricket in
03:56terms of runs and their fourth loss in the last five tests. It also spoiled the farewell of veteran
04:03batters Tammy Beaumont and former captain Heather Knight, who played their final international matches
04:08before retirement. England coach Charlotte Edwards admitted her disappointment after the match,
04:15praising India for their exceptional discipline with both bat and ball.
04:20Captain Nat Siverbrand also pointed to the quick transition from the women's T20 World Cup final
04:26to test cricket but accepted that the team had to be better prepared. Adding to England's frustration,
04:33the team is still searching for its first home women's test victory since 2005. Despite a smaller crowd on
04:41the final day, the match attracted an overall attendance of 37,846, setting a new record for a women's test.
04:50For India, the victory erased the disappointment of their earlier women's T20 World Cup exit at
04:57Lord's and ensured the two ended on a historic high. Winning the first-ever women's test at the home of
05:04cricket, alongside several individual milestones and a record crowd, made it one of the most memorable
05:11in Indian women's cricket history.
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