Key events
71st over: India 278-7 (Deepti 55, Sayali 0) Sayali blocks away against Ecclestone, remaining scoreless after 14 deliveries.
70th over: India 276-7 (Deepti 53, Sayali 0) Villiers tweaks away for her 17th over on the bounce.
69th over: India 275-7 (Deepti 52, Sayali 0) Ecclestone skips through her six in quick time.
68th over: India 274-7 (Deepti 51, Sayali 0) Sayali Satghare is up next for India, who were staring at something much bigger when they were 190 for three.
WICKET! Rana lbw Villiers 13 (India 274-7)
Oh, that’s out, surely? Villiers goes full to Rana, slapping the front pad, but the umpire says no. England are adamant and go upstairs. And they’re right to: it’s three reds, the ball expected to crash into leg stump. Rana departs.
Half-century for Deepti Sharma!
67th over: India 273-6 (Deepti 50, Rana 13) Word has come through: Lord’s has recorded an attendance of 10,763 for the first day of women’s Test cricket at this ancient ground. Deepti nudges the ball into the leg-side and steals a quick single for her milestone moment.
66th over: India 271-6 (Deepti 49, Rana 12) And we’re back with Villiers, who Rana and Deepti knock into the gaps to collect four off the over. The left-hander is closing in on her fifth Test half-century.
65th over: India 267-6 (Deepti 46, Rana 11) Deepti continues to sweep at anything in reach, and collects a single off Ecclestone. A brilliantly bowled arm ball nearly cleans up Rana. Time for drinks.
64th over: India 266-6 (Deepti 45, Rana 11) Sciver-Brunt continues with Villiers – I’m struggling to remember life before Villiers started this spell from the Nursery End.
63rd over: India 258-6 (Deepti 40, Rana 8) Ecclestone goes up in appeal against Rana … though I reckon the ball’s going down the leg-side. Rana nicks a quick single to close the over.
62nd over: India 257-6 (Deepti 40, Rana 7) Deepti’s rocking now. She welcomes Villiers’ loop, sweeping for four before whacking another to the deep midwicket rope. Time for England to shift things up from the Nursery End, I reckon.
61st over: India 246-6 (Deepti 31, Rana 5) Filer digs one in short … and Deepti pulls safely for a single.
60th over: India 243-6 (Deepti 30, Rana 3) Villiers continues her long spell, and she’s just lost a bit of control in her last few overs – Deepti, looking more and more confident, sweeps away for four.
59th over: India 237-6 (Deepti 25, Rana 2) Deepti carves Filer away, over the cordon for four.
58th over: India 232-6 (Deepti 20, Rana 2) Sneh Rana joins Deepti and cuts Villiers away for a couple. I remember her Test debut pretty well, at Bristol in 2021 – she hit an unbeaten 80 in India’s second innings.
WICKET! Ghosh c Wong b Filer 13 (India 229-6)
Filer’s going a bit too wide against Deepti – when she gets it straighter, out comes the full toss, bunted away for one. But she closes the over with a wicket! Ghosh plays an edgy pull to a short ball that doesn’t really rise; Issy Wong dives forward at deep fine leg to take a fine catch. England continue to cut through.
57th over: India 229-6 (Deepti 20, Rana 0)
56th over: India 228-5 (Deepti 18, Ghosh 13) Villiers continues, looping it wide outside off – Ghosh swishes and misses. There’s a shout for a stumping but Ghosh is fine. Villiers then loses her length: she’s pulled for four when dropping short, driven for another boundary off a full toss. Ghosh moves to double figures.
55th over: India 218-5 (Deepti 18, Ghosh 3) Filer, from over the wicket, hangs the ball outside off stump to Deepti, trying to tempt the left-hander. The India all-rounder doesn’t fall for it, seeing out a maiden.
54th over: India 218-5 (Deepti 18, Ghosh 3) Villiers settles in from around the wicket to Deepti, who continues to get the sweep out. This is Villiers’ first appearance for England since September 2024, and she’s having a good time with those classical offies.
53rd over: India 215-5 (Deepti 16, Ghosh 2) Deepti, having looked a bit rusty before the break, collects another boundary, tucking Filer around the leg-side corner.
52nd over: India 207-5 (Deepti 9, Ghosh 1) Here we go again, with Villiers back to complete her over. The power-packed Richa Ghosh is in … and Villiers rips a delicious off-break to the new batter. Welcome to the middle. Deepti sweeps hard for four before a leg-before shout closes the over. Villiers has got some decent rhythm here.
Tea – India 202-5
Villiers has her first Test wicket – not sure she’ll bowl many better than that one. That was a dreamy delivery.
WICKET! Harmanpreet b Villiers 58 (India 202-5)
An absolute beaut! Villiers has been giving the ball some serious air throughout her spell and she delivers against Harmanpreet, ripping the ball through the gate to bowl the India captain for 58. And with that work of art, time for tea.
51st over: India 202-4 (Deepti 5, Harmanpreet 58) Sophie Ecclestone is in to rip it from the Pavilion End. Harmanpreet brings up the 200 and Deepti finds some relief with a sweep for two.
50th over: India 199-4 (Deepti 3, Harmanpreet 57) We’ve got another little break here – Harmanpreet’s being treated by the doc. Play resumes with Villiers bowling … and Deepti misses with a sweep. Though England reckon there’s something off the bat or glove down the leg side, into Jones’ hands. I heard something … up we go for a review. There’s nothing on UltraEdge, however. Deepti’s still searching for some fluency.
49th over: India 199-4 (Deepti 3, Harmanpreet 57) Villiers pulls off a cracking one-handed stop at gully to keep Harmanpreet on strike against Filer. The England quick tests out Harmanpreet’s pull shot … it brings the captain a single.
48th over: India 197-4 (Deepti 2, Harmanpreet 56) Villiers gives that ball some lovely loop with her old-school off-break action, though she gets in a bit of trouble with a drag-down. Deepti cuts away but can’t beat Sophie Ecclestone in the covers. The dots build up for Deepti, still settling in out there.
47th over: India 196-4 (Deepti 2, Harmanpreet 55) Wong’s prize for getting the big wicket? A breather. It’s time for Lauren Filer to get the wheels going. She catches Deepti’s outside edge, too, but it doesn’t carry to the slip cordon.
46th over: India 194-4 (Deepti 0, Harmanpreet 55) Deepti Sharma, player of the tournament at the 2025 World Cup, joins her skipper. Villiers hangs the ball up in the air … and Harmanpreet welcomes a bit of extra hang-time, slapping the ball through the covers for four.
WICKET! Mandhana c Jones b Wong 83 (India 190-4)
Wong goes short and wide … but Harmanpreet resists, deciding against a flashing cut. There’s a mid-over pause as Harmanpreet needs some treatment – and it turns into a Hydration Break™ for both sides. Wong resumes with another tight delivery, catching Harmanpreet’s inside-edge … and then she gets rid of Mandhana! It’s wide outside off, Mandhana hangs the bat and gets a faint edge, Jones collecting behind the stumps. That’s a top grab and England have their breakthrough.
45th over: India 190-4 (Deepti 0, Harmanpreet 51)
Half-century for Harmanpreet Kaur!
44th over: India 189-3 (Mandhana 83, Harmanpreet 50) Villiers goes around the wicket to Mandhana, who deftly sweeps to the fine-leg rope. Harmanpreet dabs the ball into the offside for her second Test half-century and raises her bat to all corners.
43rd over: India 183-3 (Mandhana 78, Harmanpreet 49) Wong gets some serious swing into Mandhana and there’s a big leg-before shout … England decide against a review. It’s a good call – the replays show an inside-edge. Mandhana produces another inside-edge that gets her safely to the other end.
42nd over: India 182-3 (Mandhana 77, Harmanpreet 49) Too short from Villiers and Harmanpreet, dominating the strike after tea, pulls away for four more. India’s captain, eyeing up that half-century, tries to send one all the way to St John’s Wood station with a slog sweep … but doesn’t get anywhere close to a meaningful connection, Villiers getting some very decent dip with her off-break.
41st over: India 177-3 (Mandhana 76, Harmanpreet 45) Issy Wong bounds in … and Harmanpreet flashes hard, the ball escaping the reach of Villiers at gully and running away for four. Wong keeps that line nice and tight, but it’s still a decent over for India.
Taha Hashim
40th over: India 171-3 (Mandhana 76, Harmanpreet 39) Hello, hello, hello. What a treat to witness some history. Villiers twirls away for a fairly quiet set, conceding a single off Harmanpreet.
39th over: India 170-3 (Smriti 76, Harmanpreet 38) They take drinks after an almost mix-up, Smriti diving for her ground, and after a slow and steady post-lunch session, I had you over to Taha. Thanks for your company – bye!
38th over: India 163-3 (Smriti 75, Harmanpreet 37) Time for Maddie Villiers to replace Sophie Ecclestone. She slots into the groove, will have been a while since she bowled red ball cricket, with no professional domestic red-ball cricket any more.
37th over: India 163-3 (Smriti 74, Harmanpreet 34) Just one run off Wong’s over. Whatever Charlotte Edwards said in the lunch interval has tightened England’s resolve, unless India found the cabbage soporific.
36th over: India 162-3 (Smriti 72, Harmanpreet 34) Smriti breaks the happy sleepiness with four pinged through long on. Are we allowed to start thinking about a first century at Lord’s?
35th over: India 157-3 (Smriti 67, Harmanpreet 34)Wong replaces Bell after five overs after lunch. The game has drifted into a quieter zone.
34th over: India 156-3 (Smriti 66, Harmanpreet 34) More Ecclestone accuracy. Four dots, two singles, and a last glass of sauvignon please.
33rd over: India 154-3 (Smriti 65, Harmanpreet 33) Bell again, huge strides. The fifty partnership comes and goes. A wild throw brings an extra run and we move quietly on. After the blitz of coloured clothing over the last month, I am appreciating the pureness of white on green
32nd over: India 149-3 (Smriti 64, Harmanpreet 29) After that initial flurry, India seem to have decided to be watchful of Ecclestone, while scoring at the other end. This has so far not been too tricky.
31st over: India 146-3 (Smriti 64, Harmanpreet 28) Lord’s could be divided in two. The left side of the ground, as I look at it from the media stand, is largely a sea of white seats.The Tavern is closed. The other side is liberally populated on the bottom tiers, the Warner pretty full too. Four spanked by Harmanpreet through point, and four byes finish Bell’s over.
30th over: India 137-3 (Smriti 64, Harmanpreet 21) Ecclestone thinks Mandana has got a tiny tickle on a ball – England review -she hasn’t. And next ball she lofts Ecclestone, though not with enough power to reach the rope. Another couple into the leg slide. The players shadows are tiny now, squeaking along under their feet.
29th over: India 131-3 (Smriti 59, Harmanpreet 20) Harmanpreet can’t resist a full ball, a bit of a gift from Bell and spears it to the rope, with delicious panache.
28th over: India 127-3 (Smriti 58, Harmanpreet 15) A post prandial replete quiet over Lord’s. Quiet from India too who are happy to watch and wait. Light blue skies, sketchy white clouds floating high.
27th over: India 125-3 (Smriti 58, Harmanpreet 15) Lauren Bell races in once more from the pavilion end. Can she find her rhythm? Better – just one from it.
Afternoon session
26th over: India 124-3 (Smriti 57, Harmanpreet 15) Braised chargrilled cabbage for lunch. The players bounce down the steps, Ecclestone to restart from the Nursery end, reels through her over quickly, just two from it.
An entertaining session, runs at a fair lick for India, some nervy bowling from England but reward for Filer, Bell and Wong. And a joy to watch Smriti bat. Applause for the players, lunch for me! Back shortly.
Lunch – India 122-3
25th over: India 122-3 (Smriti 56, Harman 14) Filer, getting lift, dashes in. Fourteen steps, elbows jabbing. Harmanpreet is suddenly watchful, defensive. Some faffing around with an overthrow means this is going to be the last over before lunch. A single to mid-on is the final action of the morning. Hand slaps for England, Harman and Smriti drop their gear just outside the pavilion boundary and they all go in for a historic first lunch.
23rd over: India 121-3 (Smriti 56, Harman 13) Ecclestone rattles through another, number eight. Harman slides four through the covers.
23rd over: India 115-3 (Smriti 55, Harman 8) Filer returns for a couple of overs before the break, but switches ends. Smriti has slowed down, but Harman isn’t over cautious as lunch approaches, angling four between the slips.
