From Village Cricket To Lord’s Glory: Kranti Gaud, Yastika Bhatia Make History

Kranti Gaud and Yastika Bhatia etched their names into Lord’s cricket history with landmark performances that marked a significant moment for women’s Test cricket.

Gaud, who grew up in Ghuwara village in Madhya Pradesh, made history with a five-wicket haul, while Bhatia became the first woman to score a Test century at the iconic London venue.

Gaud claimed 5/37 in England’s first innings, becoming the first woman to take a Test five-wicket haul at Lord’s. Her achievement reflected a remarkable journey that began with tennis-ball cricket on uneven village grounds.

The 22-year-old, the youngest of six siblings, played cricket with boys in her village before progressing through Madhya Pradesh’s domestic system. She later earned a place in the Women’s Premier League with UP Warriorz and represented India at the international level.

Bhatia, meanwhile, produced another historic performance.

The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter scored 113 from 158 balls, hitting 14 boundaries to become the first woman to register a Test century at Lord’s.

The two performances placed Gaud and Bhatia together on the venue’s honours board, which recognises outstanding batting and bowling displays. Their achievements came during the first women’s Test at Lord’s, held 50 years after England’s pioneering women’s international at the venue.

Until this match, no woman had featured on the ground’s Test honours boards.

For Gaud, the moment represented a remarkable leap from playing tennis-ball cricket in a small Madhya Pradesh village to performing at one of the most famous cricket grounds in the world.

For Bhatia, the century added another milestone to a career that began with her international debut in 2021.

Together, their performances created a historic chapter for Indian women’s cricket and offered two very different journeys to the same destination — the Lord’s honours board.