A historic batting masterclass from wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia has put India Women on the absolute cusp of a legendary victory over England Women on Day 3 of the one-off Test match at Lord’s on July 12. Bhatia stole the show by smashing a scintillating maiden Test hundred—becoming the first-ever female cricketer to score a Test century at the Home of Cricket. Her breathtaking performance propelled India to a commanding declaration, leaving a shell-shocked England reeling at 130/6 at stumps, still requiring an improbable 327 runs to win.
Resuming their second innings on an overnight score of 154/1, India looked to rapidly build on their initial 115-run lead. Although overnight half-centurion Smriti Mandhana fell early for a well-made 70 and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur departed for 16, Bhatia stood rock-solid at one end. Displaying excellent control and attacking intent, she notched up her milestone ton off 145 balls, eventually finishing with a majestic 113 runs decorated with 14 boundaries.
Following Bhatia’s historic departure, explosive lower-order batter Richa Ghosh turned up the heat by hitting an aggressive 52-ball fifty to stretch the lead past the 400-mark. India ultimately declared at 341/7, setting the hosts a mammoth target of 457 runs in the fourth innings. Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of the English bowlers, registering a fighting five-wicket haul (5/118).
Facing a colossal fourth-innings mountain, England’s top-order collapsed dramatically under intense pressure. Indian seamers Kranti Gaud and Sayali Satghare tore through the English defense, reducing them to a miserable 6/2 in the opening exchanges. Tammy Beaumont was dismissed for a duck by Gaud, while skipper Heather Knight was caught behind in what was a disappointing final international outing. Sneh Rana piled on the misery by trapping dangerous all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt for 11. A fighting unbeaten fifty from Amy Jones (52*) provided late resistance, but with only four wickets left, India is primed to seal a famous victory on Day 4.
Debayan Bhattacharyya is a seasoned sports journalist and digital media professional, currently serving as the Chief Sub Editor at ITV Digital (NewsX). A true Football-Fanatic Bong, his professional journey began at Zee Media, where he kicked off his career as a Sub-Editor for the sports team at India.com and CricketCountry. His ability to blend insightful analysis with rapid-fire news delivery soon led him to Times Network, where he served as a Senior Copy Editor for Times Now. Before his current role at NewsX, Debayan spent a significant tenure at OneIndia’s MyKhel as a Senior Sub Editor.
