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India Women's captain Harmanpreet Kaur's father, Harmandar Singh Bhullar, expressed immense pride after the team scripted history by defeating England by 270 runs in the first-ever Women's Test at Lord's, saying the players excelled in every department to bring glory to the nation.
Reacting to India's landmark victory at the iconic venue in London, Bhullar credited the team's all-round effort and thanked the Almighty for his daughter's achievement. "They won by a huge margin, and we are absolutely delighted. We are truly grateful to Waheguru for helping our daughter reach this milestone. We thank him profusely. The entire team contributed with excellent batting, fielding, and bowling. They played brilliantly, brought glory to the country, and won the Test match," he told ANI. India Women produced one of the finest performances in their Test history to register a commanding 270-run victory over England, maintaining their unbeaten record in Women's Tests on English soil. The triumph also improved India's record to seven wins, three draws and just one defeat in their last 11 Tests. The visitors dominated throughout the one-off contest, posting 285 in the first innings before bowling England out for 170 to secure a crucial 115-run lead. Harmanpreet played a key role with a composed 58, while Smriti Mandhana struck 83 and Deepti Sharma contributed 57. India then tightened their grip on the match in the second innings as Yastika Bhatia etched her name into the record books by becoming the first woman to score a Test century at Lord's. Her memorable hundred, along with Smriti Mandhana's 70 and an unbeaten 50 from Richa Ghosh, helped India declare at 341/7 and set England a daunting target of 457. England's chase never gained momentum as debutant pacer Kranti Gaud, who had claimed a five-wicket haul in the first innings, and Deepti Sharma dismantled the batting line-up. Deepti picked up four wickets in the second innings as England were bowled out for 186 on the fourth day. The result also marked a disappointing farewell for England stalwarts Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont, who ended their international careers with defeat at the Home of Cricket. India's victory carried added historical significance, coming exactly 24 years after former men's captain Sourav Ganguly's iconic shirt-waving celebration at Lord's following India's NatWest Trophy triumph over England on July 13, 2002. On the same date in 2026, Harmanpreet Kaur's side produced another memorable chapter at the historic venue, becoming the first women's team to win a Test at Lord's and further cementing India's growing stature in red-ball cricket. (ANI)
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