Cricket
Yastika Bhatia makes history for India as defeat looms for England at Lord’s
Yastika Bhatia became the first woman to score a Test century at Lord’s as India left England on the brink of a humbling defeat heading into the final day.
The 26-year-old left-hander, who had resumed on day three on 39 not out, hit 14 fours as she went to 100 off 145 balls before eventually miscuing Sophie Ecclestone to Mady Villiers as the tourists upped the tempo with a declaration looming.
Bhatia was the major contributor to a second-innings total of 347 for seven declared in which Richa Ghosh scored an unbeaten 50 at just under a run a ball before skipper Harmanpreet Kaur called her batters from the field having set the hosts an improbable 457 for victory.
By the end of a disastrous final session, Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side were languishing on 130 for six, still 326 adrift and staring defeat firmly in the face.
Resuming at 154 for one, India suffered early losses as opener Smriti Mandhana was caught behind for 70 off the bowling of Lauren Bell, who then clean-bowled Jemimah Rodrigues for three.
However, Bhatia stood firm, reaching three figures with a single after nudging the final ball of the 68th over to extra cover to rapturous applause before removing her helmet to kiss the Lord’s turf in celebration.
Ecclestone, who had removed opener Shafali Verma on Saturday, trapped Harmanpreet and then Deepti Sharma in front before finally ending Bhatia’s 223-minute stay at the crease, and she secured a place on the honours board when she bowled Sneh Rana for one to finish with figures of five for 118 from her 33.3 overs.
Tammy Beaumont, playing her final match for England before her retirement from international cricket, fell first ball to Kranti Gaud, and fellow opener Maia Bouchier joined her back in the pavilion with the innings only 14 balls and six runs old.
Heather Knight, also representing her country for the last time, and her successor as skipper Sciver-Brunt briefly steadied the ship, but after successfully challenging an lbw decision, Sciver-Brunt attempted a sweep from the very next ball and heard it clatter into her stumps to leave the score at 23 for three.
Knight soon followed, caught at short leg off Gaud for 13 as England were reduced to 34 for three, like Beaumont receiving a guard of honour from the Indian team as she left the field.
Alice Capsey’s departure after she was bowled by Sayali Satghare for 21 reduced England to 59 for five and Amy Jones was reprieved on review after being given out leg before to Rana for 34 with the score on 102 as she and Villiers provided some resistance.
However, Villiers was unfortunate to succumb to a stunning instinctive catch by Ghosh at silly mid-off for 26 as she attempted to drive Rana, although Jones completed her second half-century of the match after being joined at the wicket by Ecclestone and the pair were still there at the close.
