England toil as India take control in front of record crowd
England face a likely defeat in the one-off women's Test against India at Lord's after a difficult second day left them trailing badly. Resuming on 21-1 in reply to India's first innings of 285, England were bowled out for 170, before India reached 154-1 in their second innings to establish a commanding lead of 269, with two days of good weather still to come. The result puts India firmly in control and highlighted England's struggles to bat for long periods on a flat, hot-weather surface.
The day was defined by two standout performances. India's 22-year-old Kranti Gaud took 5-37 to become the first woman to appear on the Lord's Test honours board, working through England's top order and dismissing captain Nat Sciver-Brunt (44) among others, as England collapsed from a fifth-wicket stand of 84 to lose their last six wickets for just 39 runs; Amy Jones top-scored with 52. In India's reply, Smriti Mandhana remained unbeaten on 69 after an 88-run opening stand with Shafali Verma (33), the latter falling to Sophie Ecclestone. A notable positive for the hosts was a world-record single-day attendance for a women's Test of 15,243, beating the previous best of 11,918 set at Melbourne during the 2025 Women's Ashes.
In short
- India lead by 269 and are in control at Lord's.
- Kranti Gaud took 5-37, first woman on Lord's honours board.
- Record 15,243 crowd for a women's Test day.
Explained simply
Women's Test cricket is a five-day format played in international competition between national teams, distinct from shorter formats like One Day Internationals and Twenty20. This one-off match is a rare occurrence, with Test cricket being played far less frequently than limited-overs formats in women's sport. India and England are two major women's cricket nations.
Lord's in London is the world's foremost cricket ground and the traditional home of the sport. Women's Test matches are infrequently played at Lord's. The match has attracted considerable public attention.