Debutant off-spinner Mady Villiers made a significant impact by getting India captain Harmanpreet Kaur out on the last ball of the afternoon session, helping England claw back into the one-off Test match at Lord’s. At tea on the first day, India stood at 202/5 in 51.2 overs. The post-lunch session saw England’s bowlers regaining control with disciplined bowling, claiming the crucial wickets of well-set batters Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet, who scored 83 and 58 runs, respectively.
India, starting from 122/3 in 25 overs, built a solid partnership between Smriti and Harmanpreet, frustrating the hosts by crossing the 150-run mark. Smriti displayed elegant footwork against left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone, while Harmanpreet, despite physical discomfort requiring medical attention, reached her second Test half-century off 99 balls. However, England’s persistence paid off as they broke the partnership and continued to challenge the Indian batters.
England utilized two unsuccessful reviews during the session, one against Smriti and another against Deepti Sharma. Just before tea, Mady deceived Harmanpreet with a well-flighted delivery outside off, inducing an expansive drive that led to her dismissal, giving England a boost at the break.
