India’s historic victory over England by 270 points (ANI Image)
India’s emphatic 270-run victory over England in the first ever women’s Test at Lord’s was more than just another famous overseas victory. He also cemented one of the most notable records in women’s Test cricket.
India have now gone 40 years without losing a Test match in England. The victory also maintained India’s unbeaten record in women’s Tests on English soil. Across 10 Tests played in England since their first tour in 1986, India have won three and drawn seven, and Monday’s win at Lord’s became the latest chapter in a remarkable run that has spanned four decades.
Overall, India and England have met 16 times in women’s Tests.
India now leads in direct confrontations with four wins compared to England’s only win, while 11 matches ended in draws. England’s only success came by a narrow two-run margin in Jamshedpur in 1995, while India won each of the last two completed Tests between the two sides. Recent success has been built on complete dominance. After scoring 285 runs in the first innings, India bundled out England for 170 to secure a huge lead. Yastika Bhatia then etched her name in the history books when she became the first woman to score a Test century at Lord’s, where her flurry of 113 helped India to 341 for seven and set England a majestic target of 457 runs.
Smriti Mandhana contributed 70 runs after making 83 in the first innings, while Richa Ghosh’s unbeaten half-century accelerated the declaration. England never seriously threatened the chase as India’s bowlers expertly exploited the conditions. Kranti Goud, who took five wickets in the first innings, added two more in the second innings to finish with seven wickets in the match, while Sneh Rana and Sayali Satgari ensured that the pressure never let up. The win came after India’s 347-run thrashing of England in Navi Mumbai in 2023, and reaffirmed the visitors’ growing stature in the longest format. In a place steeped in cricketing history, India added another milestone, extending England’s unbeaten streak that now stretches back half a century.