India Vs England: Yastika Bhatia Creates History With First Women's Test Hundred At Lord's

Yastika Bhatia etched her name in the history books by becoming the first woman to score a Test century at Lord's Cricket Ground on Day 3 of the one-off Test between India and England on Sunday.

The wicketkeeper-batter produced a composed 113 off 158 deliveries, laced with 14 boundaries, before being dismissed by Sophie Ecclestone as India continued to dominate the contest.

At the time of filing this report, India were firmly in command with a lead of 402 runs in their second innings.

Bhatia's landmark knock was her maiden Test century and the highest score of her red-ball career. The 24-year-old reached the three-figure mark in 145 balls, displaying a blend of patience and fluent strokeplay as she anchored India's innings after the visitors had already established a healthy advantage.

Resuming Day 3 alongside Smriti Mandhana, Bhatia survived an early scare when Lauren Bell's very first delivery clipped the stumps but failed to remove the bails. The reprieve proved costly for England as the left-hander settled in and steadily built another crucial partnership for India.

India vs England Day 3 Live Score

Following Mandhana's dismissal for 70, Bhatia assumed the responsibility of guiding the innings. She remained unbeaten on 99 at lunch before reaching the milestone shortly after the interval.

After moving to 99 with successive boundaries off Issy Wong, she eventually completed her century with a single through the covers off the final ball of the 68th over.

The celebrations underlined the significance of the achievement. Bhatia acknowledged the applause from the Lord's crowd by raising her bat and helmet, while her teammates applauded from the dressing room. She then bowed on the pitch after securing a place on the prestigious Lord's Honours Board.

Her innings eventually came to an end on 113 when Sophie Ecclestone induced an outside edge that was safely held by Mady Villiers. Bhatia walked back after a superb 158-ball knock that featured 14 boundaries, leaving India in a commanding position with a substantial lead.

With the century, Bhatia became only the second Indian left-handed batter, across men's and women's Test cricket, to score a hundred at Lord's after Sourav Ganguly's iconic 131 on debut in 1996.

She also joined teammate Kranti Gaud on the Lord's Honours Board after the pacer earned her place earlier in the match with a five-wicket haul in England's first innings during the venue's first-ever women's Test.

Bhatia had arrived at the crease after Shafali Verma's dismissal ended an 88-run opening partnership with Mandhana. She brought up her half-century in 86 balls before accelerating on the third morning, handling both pace and spin with confidence.

Comfortable against Ecclestone and Mady Villiers, Bhatia used her feet effectively against the spinners while punishing loose deliveries from Lauren Filer and Issy Wong. Elegant drives through the off side and controlled strokeplay ensured India maintained complete control before Ecclestone finally brought her memorable innings to an end.