India Extend Lead to 145 Runs After Kranti Gaud’s Five-Wicket Haul Puts England on the Back Foot

London, July 2026 : India tightened their grip on the one-off women’s Test against England at Lord’s with an impressive all-round performance on Day 2, taking a commanding 145-run overall lead by tea after pace bowler Kranti Gaud claimed a brilliant five-wicket haul to bowl England out for 170 before the Indian openers safely negotiated the second innings.

Resuming the session with England still trailing, India’s bowlers completed the job efficiently, dismissing the hosts for 170 in 59.1 overs. The visitors secured a substantial 115-run first-innings lead after posting 285 in their opening innings, placing England under immediate pressure.

Kranti Gaud emerged as the standout performer with the ball, producing a memorable spell to finish with outstanding figures of 5 for 37. She consistently troubled the English batters with her pace, accuracy and movement, ensuring the hosts never recovered despite some resistance from the middle order.

England’s innings was anchored by Amy Jones, who top-scored with a fighting 52, while Nat Sciver-Brunt contributed a valuable 44. However, the rest of the batting line-up failed to build meaningful partnerships as India’s disciplined bowling attack maintained control throughout.

Kranti received excellent support from her fellow bowlers. Sayali Satghare claimed two wickets, while experienced spinner Sneh Rana also picked up two crucial scalps. Deepti Sharma chipped in with one wicket to complete a comprehensive bowling display.

With a healthy first-innings advantage secured, India began their second innings shortly after lunch, aware that surviving the new ball would be crucial. England’s pace attack, led by Lauren Bell and Lauren Filer, responded with greater discipline than they had shown earlier in the match.

Bell immediately found an impressive rhythm, bowling a maiden over to Smriti Mandhana and consistently forcing the Indian opener into solid defensive strokes. Filer generated movement and bounce from the surface, beating the bat on several occasions as England attempted to make early breakthroughs.

Despite the challenging conditions, India’s opening pair remained composed. Mandhana and Shafali Verma trusted their defensive technique, absorbed the pressure and patiently waited for scoring opportunities rather than taking unnecessary risks.

Mandhana eventually shifted gears by capitalising on anything short from Filer. She produced two confident pull shots to the square-leg boundary, easing the pressure and allowing India to settle into their innings.

Shafali, after a cautious start, gradually found her rhythm as well. She opened her account with a neat glance before producing a stylish drive through the covers off Bell for her first boundary. Her aggressive instincts became more evident once left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone was introduced into the attack.

The Indian opener welcomed England’s premier spinner by lofting her confidently straight down the ground before following it up with an elegant inside-out drive through extra cover. Ecclestone’s first over also included four byes down the leg side, making it an expensive introduction as India collected 13 runs from the over.

The positive approach from both openers ensured India reached the tea interval without losing a wicket, frustrating England’s hopes of making early inroads. At the break, India had advanced to 30 without loss, extending their overall lead to 145 runs with both batters looking increasingly comfortable on a pitch that continued to favour batting.

With two full sessions remaining and a significant lead already in hand, India are firmly in control of the contest and will aim to build a massive target that could put England out of the match heading into the final stages.

Brief Scores: India 285 & 30/0 (Shafali Verma 14*, Smriti Mandhana 10*) lead England 170 all out (Amy Jones 52, Nat Sciver-Brunt 44; Kranti Gaud 5/37, Sayali Satghare 2/40, Sneh Rana 2/41, Deepti Sharma 1/10) by 145 runs.