One-off Test: Mithali, Rahane, Pathan lead plaudits as cricket fraternity celebrates India’s historic win at Lord’s (Ld)

New Delhi, July 13 (IANS) India’s cricket fraternity rose in unison to celebrate the national team’s historic victory in the first-ever women’s Test at Lord’s with former India captain Ajinkya Rahane, all-rounder Irfan Pathan and women’s team captain Mithali Raj leading the tributes after Harmanpreet Kaur’s side crushed England by 270 runs in a memorable performance at the Home of Cricket.

Rahane celebrated the achievement on social media, writing, “What a special win! Congratulations to Harmanpreet Kaur and the entire team for making history at Lord’s. A performance to remember.” (IPL T20)

Former India women’s captain Mithali Raj said, “A complete team performance to seal a legendary, historic Test win in England! Two names added to the iconic Lord’s honours board in a single game, huge congratulations to @yastikabhatia for her sensational hundred and Kranti Gaud for her clinical five-wicket haul, brilliantly set up by @mandhana_smriti’s exceptional composure across both innings.”

Off-spinner Sneh Rana excelled with figures of 4-42 as India secured a solid victory on Monday, bowling England out for 186 while defending a challenging target of 457. Deepti Sharma contributed with 2-36, breaking down England’s lower order in the opening session of the fourth day.

Starting with 130/6, England’s slim hopes relied on overnight half-centurion Amy Jones. However, Sneh struck early, dismissing her for 54. Deepti then took out Issy Wong and Lauren Bell while Sneh finished the match by bowling Sophie Ecclestone, who had earlier made her maiden Test fifty, through the gate.

This decisive win gave India their seventh victory in the last 11 women’s Tests and maintained their unbeaten record in red-ball cricket on English soil. Tributes flooded in after this historic victory. Former England captain Michael Vaughan praised India’s all-around performance, while National Cricket Academy head VVS Laxman congratulated the team on their important win and highlighted the significance of conquering Lord’s.

“A truly special win. Congratulations to the Indian Women’s team on a memorable Test victory at Lord’s. Your skill, resilience, and fighting spirit have made the whole nation proud. Keep it up @BCCI,” Laxman posted on X.

“Fantastic win for India at Lord’s in the historic test match. India completely dominated an England team that once again fell far short of where they should be. Two showcase moments for the women’s game this past week. I enjoyed watching,” Vaughan wrote on X.

BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla also praised the team for making history with their strong performance at the famous venue. (IPL T20). “Congratulations to Team India for winning against England @BCCI.”

India’s victory was supported by outstanding performances over all four days. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana scored 83 and 70; Yastika Bhatia hit a remarkable 113—the first century by a woman in a Test at Lord’s—while Richa Ghosh smashed an unbeaten 50 off just 52 balls. Kranti Gaud also made her mark in the record books with the first five-wicket haul in a women’s Test at the venue.

Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan posted, “Victory with a touch of class. Well done, Indian Women’s team on the test match victory vs England w. Smriti Mandana, Deepti Sharma, Kranti Gaud, Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh, Sneh Rana. You all were amazing. Well done, Captain Kaur.”

Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan joined the chorus in praising the team for the memorable victory at Lord’s.

“Champions don’t wait for history to happen. They create it. 🇮🇳 Congratulations to Team India Women on a memorable victory at Lord’s. @YastikaBhatia’s century, @mandhana_smriti’s outstanding performance, and Kranti’s brilliant bowling will be remembered for a long time. Proud moment for Indian cricket,” Dhawan said in a post on X.

The win took place in front of batting legend Sachin Tendulkar, who spoke to the team before play began, along with ICC chairman Jay Shah, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla, and secretary Devajit Saikia. This capped a dominant performance by India in the first women’s Test held at Lord’s in its 142-year history.

–IANS

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