India opener Smriti Mandhana fell agonisingly short of becoming the first woman to score a Test century at Lord’s as the celebrated ground staged its inaugural women’s Test on Friday.
The elegant Mandhana made 83, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma both contributing fifties as India made 285 against England on the opening day of four after losing the toss.
India seemed on course for a first-innings total in excess of 300 while Mandhana (83) and captain Kaur (58) were sharing a fourth-wicket partnership of 89.
But Mandhana’s exit, with wicket-keeper holding a fine catch standing up to the stumps after the left-handed opener edged fast bowler Issy Wong, sparked something of a collapse from 190-3.
Kaur was out to what became the last ball before tea when bowled by a superb off-break from England debutant Mady Villiers.
India lost their last four wickets for 11 runs as left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone (3-68) polished off the tail.
Before stumps, England opener Tammy Beaumont, who will retire from international duty after this match, was lbw to fast bowler Kranti Gaud’s inswinger for just two.
England were 21-1 at the close.
After 142 years — and 150 matches — of men’s Test cricket at Lord’s, this fixture represents another landmark in the evolution of the women’s game.
This Test is taking place 50 years after the first major women’s match at the London ground, a one-day international between England and Australia.
Members of the England team that day gathered on the outfield Friday to ring the five-minute bell signalling the start of play.
In contrast to their 1976 predecessors, England were playing their second match at Lord’s in under a week following their defeat by arch-rivals Australia in Sunday’s T20 World Cup final — with India knocked out of the tournament by the eventual champions in a group-stage game at the ‘Home of Cricket’.
Fifty years ago, women were not allowed to walk through the Long Room and still decades away from becoming members of Marylebone Cricket Club, the owners of Lord’s.
On Friday the teams were cheered to the echo as they made their way through the centrepiece of the pavilion before taking the field for the pre-match anthems.
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