India reached 237 for 6 at tea on the opening day of the historic one-off women's Test at Lord's, after captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored 58 and Smriti Mandhana made 83. England's bowlers struck late to keep the contest alive, with Lauren Filer, Issy Wong, and debutant Maddie Villiers each taking wickets.
Mandhana and Harmanpreet Lead India's Charge
Smriti Mandhana looked in fine touch, compiling 83 runs off 139 balls, including 13 boundaries. She was eventually caught by Amy Jones off the bowling of Issy Wong, ending a 190-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Harmanpreet Kaur reached her half-century off 86 balls, hitting nine fours, before being bowled by a stunning delivery from Maddie Villiers that ripped through the gate.
India's innings began shakily, losing opener Shafali Verma for a duck in the second over, caught by Jones off Filer. Yastika Bhatia fell for 12, bowled by Lauren Bell, and Jemimah Rodrigues made 35 before being bowled by Wong. At lunch, India were 122 for 3, with Mandhana on 56 and Harmanpreet on 14.
England Fight Back After Lunch
After lunch, Mandhana and Harmanpreet accelerated, adding 68 runs in the afternoon session. However, England struck twice in quick succession: Mandhana fell to Wong, and Harmanpreet was bowled by Villiers for 58. Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh then steadied the ship, adding 29 runs before Ghosh was caught by Wong off Filer for 13. At tea, Deepti was unbeaten on 20, with Sneh Rana on 2.
England captain Heather Knight won the toss and elected to bowl first on a green-tinged pitch. The decision paid early dividends as Filer and Bell removed the openers, but Mandhana and Harmanpreet's counter-attack put India in a strong position. England's spinners, Sophie Ecclestone and Maddie Villiers, bowled tightly, with Ecclestone conceding just 43 runs from 14 overs and Villiers taking the key wicket of Harmanpreet.
Key Performances and Milestones
Smriti Mandhana's 83 was her highest score in Test cricket, surpassing her previous best of 78 against Australia in 2021. Harmanpreet Kaur's 58 was her second Test half-century, and she now averages 42.66 in the format. For England, Issy Wong took 2 for 47, Lauren Filer claimed 2 for 48, and Maddie Villiers finished with 1 for 31 on her Test debut.
The match marks the first women's Test at Lord's since 2017, and the first ever between England and India at the venue. India last played a Test at Lord's in 2006, when they lost by 186 runs. England are seeking redemption after losing the ODI series 2-1 earlier in the tour.
Score Summary at Tea
- India: 237 for 6 in 59 overs (Mandhana 83, Harmanpreet 58, Deepti 20*; Wong 2-47, Filer 2-48, Villiers 1-31)
- England: Yet to bat
The final session will be crucial as India look to push towards 300, while England aim to wrap up the tail quickly. The match continues at Lord's with the second day's play starting at 11:00 BST on Saturday.
