Richa Ghosh slammed fifty in 52 balls against England at Lords
This was the fifth fastest half-century by an Indian women cricketer in Tests
India gave a massive 447-run target to England with four sessions of play left
Richa Ghosh shifted gears with a quickfire half-century off just 52 balls to propel India to 341/7 in their second innings of the one-off Test against England at Lord's on Sunday, July 12.
The explosive wicketkeeper-batter struck eight fours in her unbeaten knock as India set England a daunting 447-run target, leaving the hosts with four sessions to pull off a remarkable chase.
It was the fifth-fastest half-century by an Indian woman in Test cricket, with four of the five coming against England and the other against Australia.
Fastest Fifties in Women’s Tests for India (by balls faced)
42 - Sangita Dabir vs ENG-W, Kolkata, 1995
49 - Shubha Satheesh vs ENG-W, Mumbai DYP, 2023
50 - Smriti Mandhana vs ENG-W, Lord’s, 2026
51 - Smriti Mandhana vs AUS-W, Carrara, 2021
52 - Richa Ghosh vs ENG-W, Lord’s, 2026
54 - Richa Ghosh vs SA-W, Chennai, 2024
India declared their 2nd innings for 341/7, which took their aggregate score in the match to 626. It is their 2nd highest aggregate score in Tests, just 14 runs short of the 640 runs scored against South Africa at home in Chennai.
It's a big achievement as this score came against England at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground, which is hosting its first international women's Test match.
Highest match-aggregates for India in Women’s Tests
640 vs SA-W, Chennai, 2024
626 vs ENG-W, Lord’s, 2026
614 vs ENG-W, Mumbai DYP, 2023
602 vs ENG-W, Blackpool, 1986
575 vs AUS-W, Mumbai WS, 1984
Yastika, Smriti Set The Foundation For Glory
India, after posting 285 runs in the first innings, bundled England out for just 170, taking a significant lead of 115 runs in the first innings. Smriti Mandhana, the half-centurion from the first innings, started from where she left off on Day 1 and hammered back-to-back fifties in the match.
The elegant left-handed batter played a 70-run knock in the 2nd innings and hit nine fours and a six during the course of her innings. However, it was the Yastika Bhatia show that mesmerised on Day 3 as she became the first woman cricketer to hit a century at Lord's and her name went on the coveted honors board.
The southpaw batter played a scintillating knock of 113 runs and blasted 14 boundaries during her innings. She played a crucial role in taking India's lead to a massive 447 runs and laying the foundations of a historic win.
