ENG-W vs IND-W: Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Ecclestone trade historic blows as Lord’s Test starts in style

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India Women took early honors at Lord’s, putting 285 on the scoreboard before removing England‘s Tammy Beaumont to leave the hosts at 21/1 at stumps on Day 1. A brilliant 83 from Smriti Mandhana and fighting half-centuries from Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma anchored the visitors, while Sophie Ecclestone etched her name into cricket history by becoming England’s all-time leading international wicket-taker.

Electing to bowl first in overcast conditions, England’s seamers found immediate assistance. Lauren Filer and Lauren Bell exploited the fresh surface, extracting sharp bounce and movement to leave India reeling at 37/2. The early dismissals forced the tourists into a defensive shell.

Mandhana countered the initial pressure with elegant strokeplay, combining logic with aggression. She joined forces with Jemimah Rodrigues (35) to steady the ship. Their 64-run partnership blunted the new ball and shifted the momentum back to the batting side.Middle-Order Heavyweights and a Spin-Led Collapse

Following Rodrigues’ departure, Mandhana found an able ally in skipper Harmanpreet (58). The pair looked immovable during an 89-run stand, steering India to a commanding 190/3. However, Issy Wong provided the breakthrough by dismissing Mandhana for a well-made 83. Shortly before Tea, debutant Mady Villiers clean-bowled a visibly cramping Kaur, triggering a massive batting collapse.

The second half of the day belonged to England’s premier left-arm spinner, Ecclestone. She tore through India’s lower order, finishing with figures of 3/68. This performance pushed her past Katherine Sciver-Brunt to make her England Women’s highest wicket-taker across all formats. India lost their final seven wickets for just 95 runs.

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Faced with a complete tail-end capitulation, Deepti Sharma played a vital counter-attacking innings. Her composed 57 ensured India pushed past the 250-mark to post a competitive total of 285, ensuring the bowlers had a respectable target to defend.

With roughly 45 minutes of play remaining, India’s bowling unit attacked with high intensity. Indian debutant pacer Kranti Goud made an immediate impact, trapping veteran opener Tammy Beaumont lbw for just 2 runs. Maia Bouchier (17*) managed to survive the remaining overs, leaving England trailing by 264 runs heading into the second day.

Day 1, Stumps

England have fought back brilliantly to dismiss India for 285 from 190 for 3 ✨#ENGvIND #Cricket

— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) July 11, 2026

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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.