Yastika Bhatia entered the history books with a brilliant maiden Test century as she became the first woman to score a Test hundred at Lord’s Cricket Ground in the ongoing one-off Test against England.The Indian wicketkeeper-batsman reached the triple-digit mark on Day 3, i.e. July 12, with an Issy Wong-penned single, and subsequently earned applause from all corners of the iconic venue. She took off her helmet, raised her bat to greet the crowd and teammates, and took a bow on the field in an emotional celebration as her name was destined to be inducted into the prestigious Lord’s Honors Committee.Bhatia ended up walking away with a brilliant knock of 113 off 158 balls (14 boundaries). Sophie Ecclestone It triggered an untimely high kick which was safely caught by then-Maddie Villiers. As she walked back, all the Lord’s people stood up.
India’s historic feat
Bhatia’s innings was not only her first century in a Test match, it was also the highest score by an Indian woman in the third or fourth innings of a Test match.Highest score in 3rd/4th innings of India Women’s Test:
- 113 – Yashtika Bhatia vs England Home (2026)
- 98 – Sandhya Agarwal vs New Zealand Lucknow (1985)
- 83 – Sandhya Agarwal vs Australia Wankhede (1984)
- 80* – Snellana vs England, Bristol (2021)
- 75 – Banerjee vs England, Blackpool (1986)
- 72 – Gaj Banerjee vs Australia Wankhede (1984)
Her century came as a crucial moment for India, with the historic knock giving the visitors a huge lead of over 400 runs. Backed by Smriti Mandhana’s 70, India tightened their grip in the one-off Test after defeating England by 170 in the first innings. After starting the second innings with a 115-run lead, India continued to add runs and are now on the verge of winning their maiden Women’s Test at Lord’s.
