Kranti Gaud Creates History at Lord's with Maiden Test Five-Wicket Haul

July 12, 2026: India pacer Kranti Gaud delivered a memorable performance on Day 2 of the one-off Women's Test against England at Lord's, claiming a historic five-wicket haul to put the visitors in complete control of the match. The 22-year-old finished with outstanding figures of 5 for 35, helping bowl England out for 170 and giving India a valuable 115-run first-innings lead.

Playing only her second Test match, Gaud etched her name into the record books by becoming the first woman ever to take a five-wicket haul in a Test match at Lord's. She also became the first Indian woman to claim a five-for in any format at the iconic venue, making it a landmark day for Indian women's cricket.

Gaud wasted no time after play resumed on the second morning. She struck with just the fourth ball of the day, dismissing Maia Bouchier with a clever wobble-seam delivery that found the outside edge and was safely collected by wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia.

The Indian pacer had already made an impact on the opening day by dismissing veteran opener Tammy Beaumont, who is playing the final international match of her career. Beaumont was trapped leg before wicket by Gaud to give India an early breakthrough.

England's top order found it difficult to handle Gaud's pace and movement throughout the innings. She later produced one of the deliveries of the match to dismiss Alice Capsey, beating the batter's outside edge before crashing into the off stump. Shortly afterwards, Heather Knight also departed as England slipped to 32 for 3, placing the hosts under immense pressure.

Gaud's Historic Spell Ends England's Resistance

England attempted to recover through a determined partnership between captain Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amy Jones. The pair added 84 runs for the fifth wicket and briefly steadied the innings after the early collapse.

Jones played some attractive strokes and brought up her second fifty in Women's Test cricket, while Sciver-Brunt mixed caution with aggression, striking important boundaries to reduce India's first-innings advantage.

However, India refused to let the momentum shift. Spinner Sneh Rana broke the partnership by dismissing Jones, whose attempted flick ballooned to Richa Ghosh at short leg after catching the shoulder of the bat.

Gaud then returned to produce another decisive spell. She dismissed England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, before removing Lauren Bell to complete a richly deserved five-wicket haul. Sneh Rana and Sayali Satghare also picked up two wickets each as England lost their final five wickets for just 33 runs, handing India complete control of the contest.

KRANTI GAUD INTO LORD'S HISTORY BOOKS 🇮🇳

- First Women to take a Five wicket haul in Tests at Lord's.

Just 22 years, coming from Madhya Pradesh into the Lord's History.pic.twitter.com/hEdLwaGDRq

— Sporti vox (@Sporti_vox) July 11, 2026

Smriti Mandhana Leads India's Strong Reply

With a first-innings lead of 115 runs, India's batters continued to dominate in the second innings. Once again, Smriti Mandhana led from the front with another composed unbeaten half-century.

Mandhana remained 69 not out off 124 deliveries, anchoring the innings with her trademark elegance and patience. She shared an 88-run opening partnership with Shafali Verma, who contributed an aggressive 33 runs before being caught while attempting to attack spinner Sophie Ecclestone.

After Shafali's dismissal, Mandhana continued to frustrate England's bowlers. She stitched together another unbeaten partnership of 66 runs with Yastika Bhatia, who remained not out on 39 at stumps.

Stumps on Day 2!

A fruitful day for #TeamIndia as they lead England by 2⃣6⃣9⃣ runs 📈

Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana and Yastika Bhatia will resume proceedings tomorrow 🤝

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/O1rEau8j8n #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/Txfy9PqObG

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) July 11, 2026

Mandhana's innings was built on precise timing rather than power, although she delighted the crowd by stepping down the track to hit Ecclestone for a superb straight six. Her elegant cover drives once again highlighted why she remains one of India's most dependable batters in the longest format.

At the close of play on Day 2, India had reached 154 for 1 in their second innings, extending their overall lead to 269 runs.

With three days of dominance behind them, India are now in a commanding position. The visitors will look to push their lead beyond 400 runs on Day 3 before giving their bowlers another opportunity to complete a memorable victory at the historic Lord's Cricket Ground.

Kranti Gaud's record-breaking spell, combined with Smriti Mandhana's second consecutive unbeaten fifty, has placed India within touching distance of a famous Test triumph in England.