India England Share Honours at Lord’s Women’s Test

Mandhana Sets the Tone

England captain Nat Sciver‑Brunt won the toss and elected to field first, hoping to curb India’s momentum. The hosts lost Shafali Verma and Yastika Bhatia early, but Smriti Mandhana steadied the innings with an 83‑run effort. Hitting 11 fours and a solitary six, the left‑hander’s fluent 108‑ball knock laid the foundation for India’s total.

Jemimah Rodrigues arrived for a brief cameo, adding a valuable partnership with Mandhana before her dismissal. The partnership helped India recover from the early setback and keep the run‑rate strong. Rodrigues’ innings, though short, showed promise for the upcoming days.

Harmanpreet and Deepti Rescue India

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur joined Mandhana to forge an 89‑run stand, anchoring the middle order with a composed 58 off 121 balls. While Mandhana attacked, Harmanpreet’s patience kept India in control during the afternoon session. Their collaboration turned a fragile position into a commanding total.

As the partnership grew, England’s spin duo tightened the grip. Sophie Ecclestone claimed three wickets, ending with figures of 3/68, while debutant Mady Villiers also made an immediate impact. The spin attack forced India into a late scramble.

Deepti Sharma then stepped up under pressure, compiling a steady 57 runs from 87 deliveries. Hitting seven boundaries, she guided India to a competitive 285 all out in 74.5 overs. She fell in the 75th over as the last wicket, sealing the day’s result.

England Lose Early Wicket

England faced only 11 overs before stumps and lost opener Tammy Beaumont for just two runs, bowled by Kranti Gaud. Maia Bouchier stayed unbeaten on 17, while captain Heather Knight added a single run. The hosts ended on 21/1, a full 264 runs behind India.

The early setback left the match finely balanced as fading light reduced the available overs. England’s batting order will need to improve if they hope to stay in contention on Day 2.

Brief Scores

India: 285 all out in 74.5 overs – Smriti Mandhana 83, Harmanpreet Kaur 58, Deepti Sharma 57; Sophie Ecclestone 3/68, Issy Wong 2/41.

England: 21/1 in 11 overs – Maia Bouchier 17*, Heather Knight 1*; Kranti Gaud 1/8.