India-W lock horns against England-W in historic Test at Lord’s
The Indian women will step into a new chapter of history as they are all set to lock horns with the mighty English women in a one-off Test at Lord’s. This will be the first women’s Test played at the Home of Cricket, putting both India and England on the cusp of history.
The Indian women will be desperate to leave the scars of the 2026 T20 World Cup behind and begin anew. England, on the contrary, will be hopeful of turning things around after being defeated by Australia in the tournament's grand finale.
However, when it comes to Test form, India definitely has the upper hand despite their defeat against Australia earlier this year. When it comes to the head-to-head rivalry between India and England, the visitors have not been defeated since 1995 while India is still to lose a Test against England in the latter’s backyard.
India will be relying on their star batter, Smriti Mandhana who will be backed by their captain, Harmanpreet Kaur and dynamic wicket-keeper batter Richa Ghosh. Mandhana and Kaur were part of the last Test win against England in Wormsley. Kaur was making her Test debut while Mandhana registered a fifty in India’s iconic victory. Following that, India have played just one Test in England and that was in 2021, a game which ended in a draw.
England will certainly be pinning their hopes on their captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt while Heather Knight’s experience will be playing a key role. Apart from the two, Lauren Bell will be a key factor in the side, especially with her ability to move the new ball both ways.
Venue Watch:
The surface at Lord’s has always been a balanced one with both batters and bowlers getting a say in it. However, apart from the surface, it is the legendary slope that might play a crucial part in the fate of the shots played by the batters. The early mornings would see the ball move around while there will also be moisture in the surface, adding to some unpredictable bounce. However, as the sun beats down, the moisture will dry out and batters will have their say.
Match detail:
Match: England vs India, One-off Test
Venue: Lord’s, London
Date: 10th July, 2026
Time: 3:30 PM
Head-to-head:
Matches played: 15
India: 3
England: 1
Draws: 11
Squads:
India:
Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Smriti Mandhana (VC), Shafali Varma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (WK), Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia (WK), Nandni Sharma, Harleen Deol, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Sneh Rana, Priya Punia.
England:
Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Tammy Beaumont, Lauren Bell, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Amy Jones, Heather Knight, Emma Lamb, Grace Potts, Ellie Threlkeld, Mady Villiers, Issy Wong
