India legend Sachin Tendulkar has congratulated the women’s team on their historic win in the one-off Test against England Women at Lord’s on Monday. It was the first-ever women’s Test match at the iconic venue in London. Tendulkar was there in person before the start of play on the fourth and last day, and there he appeared to give Harmanpreet Kaur’s bunch a nice pep-talk.
We don’t know exactly what Tendulkar said, but his words of encouragement worked for sure as the Indian team didn’t take much time to wrap up England and register a massive 270-run win. After the match ended and the visitors made history, Tendulkar didn’t take long either to express his joy and congratulate the team.
History made at Lord’s: India Women thrash England Women by 270 runs in the one-off Test
“Every cricketer carries the dream of playing at Lord’s. Over the past four days, a new generation lived that dream as women’s Test cricket arrived at the Home of Cricket for the very first time.
“Congratulations to the Indian team on a wonderful victory. Smriti’s composure, Yastika’s brilliant century and Kranti’s five-wicket haul made this occasion even more special.
The journey of women’s cricket has been remarkable, and this was another beautiful step forward,” Tendulkar wrote on X.
Earlier, chasing 457 to win, England Women resumed from their overnight score of 130/6 but before long were bundled for 186, with medium pacer Sneh Rana taking the lead and claiming four wickets. Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare and Deepti Sharma chipped in with two wickets each. Kranti was declared player of the match after her figures of 5/37 helped the visitors bowl the hosts out for 170 in the first innings. That gave India a nice 115-run lead as they, after being put into bat, had made 285 in their first innings.
India on top right from the outset
India, in their second innings, continued the good work and declared on 341/7, setting England a target of 457. Yastika Bhatia played an important hand of 113 off 158 balls. She became the first-ever woman cricketer to score a century at Lord’s. Smriti Mandhana also had a great game as she racked up two big fifties in the match. Captain Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma also scored important fifties in the first innings. Richa Ghosh got a blistering fifty in the second innings.
After the Indian men’s disappointing T20I show in the UK, where they lost six out of seven games to Ireland and England, Indian cricket fans needed something to blow away their gloominess, and Harmanpreet’s players have provided them with a reason to rejoice. Even the great man couldn’t contain his joy.