Lord's is hosting its first-ever women's Test as India Women take on England Women in a one-off match
Toss update: England Women won the toss and opted to bowl first
The four-day Test will be played from July 10 to 13 at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground
India and England are set to contest a landmark one-off women's Test at Lord's in London from July 10 to 13, with the match becoming the first women's Test ever to be played at the historic venue.
The fixture represents another significant milestone for women's cricket at one of the sport's most iconic grounds.
The match follows Lord's hosting its 150th men's Test, where England defeated New Zealand in the recently concluded three-match series. It also comes shortly after the Women's T20 World Cup, which attracted strong crowds and ended with England finishing as runners-up on home soil.
The significance of the occasion extends beyond the cricket itself. For many years, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) denied the England women's team access to Lord's.
Campaigns led by trailblazers such as Rachael Heyhoe Flint, coupled with criticism of the club's policies, eventually prompted reforms that helped make the venue more accessible to women's cricket and created greater opportunities within the game.
The India-England clash will be played over four days, the standard duration for women's Test matches. Only two women's Tests have been scheduled across five days, most recently the 2023 Ashes Test between England and Australia at Trent Bridge.
Since then, several players have called for five-day women's Tests to become standard, believing the extra day offers a better chance of producing a decisive result.
India Women Vs England Women, One-Off Test: Skippers Speak
Harmanpreet said, "Great opportunity for us to set a total on the board and let's see how it goes. Big achievement for us to play a first Test at Lord's, all of us are excited. Going with two pacers and three spinners. We do have one debut, Charani is going to make her debut and Yastika is back".
Sciver-Brunt said, "We're going to bowl. The most you can get out of the wicket is now. Couple of days home for some people, nice relaxed time (build up to this Test). Stood here on such a special occasion, would be remiss of us to not think about what's happened before. Two debutants today. Alice Capsey and Mady make their debut."
India Women Vs England Women, One-Off Test: Toss Update
England Women have won the toss and have opted to field.
India Women Vs England Women, One-Off Test: Playing XIs
India Women (Playing XI): Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh(w), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Sayali Satghare, Shree Charani, Kranti Gaud
England Women (Playing XI): Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Heather Knight, Nat Sciver-Brunt(c), Alice Capsey, Amy Jones(w), Mady Villiers, Sophie Ecclestone, Issy Wong, Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer
