India girls are within the touching distance of a well-known win at Lord’s of their first-ever look on the iconic venue. Going into the ultimate day on Monday, Harmanpreet Kaur’s workforce is 4 wickets approach from beating England within the one-off Take a look at because the bowlers continued their spectacular run after one other sturdy batting effort.
India’s batters constructed relentlessly on the platform laid by their bowlers within the second innings, piling up 371 earlier than lastly ending England’s distress by declaring. Yastika Bhatia was the centrepiece, turning into solely the sixth Indian girl to attain a Take a look at century abroad. That innings, although, arrived confidently. Lauren Bell clipped the stumps with the very first supply of the day, however the bails have been adamant to not be uprooted.
Whereas there was not a lot improper about that supply, there was barely something proper in regards to the one which obtained her Smriti Mandhana’s wicket within the subsequent over. Straying down the leg facet, it discovered an edge and Amy Jones behind the stumps. One wicket invited one other. 4 overs later, Bell produced an in-swinging magnificence that pierced via Jemimah Rodrigues’ drive.
Beginning the day on a constructive be aware ✅
A well-composed 2⃣nd Take a look at half-century for Yastika Bhatia 👏
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— BCCI Ladies (@BCCIWomen) July 12, 2026
It was then Sophie Ecclestone’s time to dictate the proceedings. Harmanpreet grew to become her first sufferer of the day, trapped leg earlier than wicket. Earlier than she might add one other to her tally, nevertheless, Bhatia recorded her maiden Take a look at hundred. It took her 145 deliveries to attain the feat, and it took India 24 years to have a feminine Take a look at centurion on English soil. In 2002, batting nice Mithali Raj had scored 214 at Taunton, which was the then highest particular person rating in girls’s Take a look at cricket.
Ecclestone broke the 52-run fifth-wicket stand within the quick subsequent over after Bhatia’s century, when Deepti Sharma misjudged the flight of the ball in her try to brush it to the ropes. Bhatia, in the meantime, had proven exceptional restraint all through her knock. Her first 157 deliveries didn’t yield a single six. On the 158th, she tried to vary it seeking fast runs. The 25-year-old southpaw danced down the monitor towards Ecclestone and provided a swing, however the ball achieved extra vertical elevation than horizontal. Mady Villiers accomplished the catch at mid-off.
These entrusted with engraving names on the Lord’s honours boards earned their wages on Sunday, as after Bhatia, the newest addition was Ecclestone, whose peach left Sneh Rana utterly bamboozled and earned her a fourth Take a look at fifer.
Lord’s rises to applaud a particular efficiency 🙌👏
Yastika Bhatia walks again after a historic 1️⃣1️⃣3️⃣(158) 💯
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— BCCI Ladies (@BCCIWomen) July 12, 2026
Being the final of the recognised batters, Richa Ghosh threw warning to the wind. Draping an invisible blue cape round her all-whites, she unleashed her white-ball model, scoring an unbeaten 52-ball 50, hitting eight boundaries within the course of. By the point Kaur referred to as curtains on the onslaught, India had scored 341/7, with their lead being 456 runs.
England required a miracle to even survive. Kranti Gaud had different concepts.
With the very first ball of the innings, she uprooted Tammy Beaumont’s stumps in what was the ultimate innings of an impressive worldwide profession. For a batter who has amassed 7,325 worldwide runs, it was an anti-climactic farewell, however Beaumont’s legacy will eternally relaxation on the 14 centuries and 36 fifties, and never on this remoted duck.
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Sayali Satghare’s in-swinger opened Maia Bouchier’s defence all leads to the subsequent over. Then got here Sneh Rana, who wanted solely three deliveries to bowl Nat Sciver-Brunt.
One other farewell adopted quickly after.
Heather Knight inside-edged a Gaud inswinger onto her pads earlier than Ghosh gathered safely at quick leg. She departed for simply 13, an insignificant quantity beside 320 — the variety of instances Knight had represented her nation in worldwide cricket, greater than anybody in England’s historical past.
Indian bowlers have been unrelenting. Satghare discovered the stumps once more, sending Alice Capsey again on this event. On the time, with England reeling at 59/5, it appeared a fourth day wouldn’t be essential. Amy James and Mady Villiers ensured the Take a look at would enter the ultimate day.
The pair constructed a 67-run partnership, earlier than the resilience was lastly damaged by Rana. Ghosh, nevertheless, deserves as a lot credit score for the dismissal because the bowler, for taking a surprising catch. The day ended with England’s rating studying 130/6. India’s girls want 4 wickets to earn their third Take a look at win in England, and maybe, essentially the most particular of all time.
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Temporary scores: India 285 & 341/7 decl (Yastika Bhatia 113; Sophie Ecclestone 5/118) vs England 170 & 130/6 (Amy Jones 52 batting; Sayali Satghare 2/19).