India captain Harmanpreet Kaur scripted multiple records after guiding the Indian women’s cricket team to a historic 270-run victory over England in the one-off test at Lord’s, becoming only the fourth Indian captain across men’s and women’s cricket to win a Test at the iconic venue.
The Indian women’s cricket team etched its name into the history books after defeating England by a commanding 270 runs in the one-off Test at Lord’s, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur achieving a landmark feat that places her alongside some of India’s greatest Test captains.
The victory was historic on multiple fronts. It was India Women’s first-ever Test win at Lord’s, while the iconic ‘Home of Cricket’ hosted a women’s Test match for the first time in its 142-year history. More significantly, Harmanpreet became only the fourth Indian captain across men’s and women’s cricket to lead the country to a Test victory at the famous venue.
Harmanpreet joins elite Lord’s club
With the emphatic triumph, Harmanpreet added another remarkable chapter to her captaincy career. The India skipper has now joined an exclusive list of Indian captains to conquer Lord’s in Test cricket.
Indian captains to win a Test at Lord’s:
Kapil Dev – 1986 (IND won by 5 wickets)
MS Dhoni – 2014 (IND won by 95 runs)
Virat Kohli – 2021 (IND won by 151 runs)
Harmanpreet Kaur – 2026 (IND won by 270 runs)
The victory also strengthened Harmanpreet’s legacy as India’s most successful women’s Test captain.
Harmanpreet becomes India’s most successful women’s Test captain
The Lord’s triumph was Harmanpreet Kaur’s fourth Test victory as captain, the most by any Indian woman to lead the national side in the longest format. She achieved the milestone in just five Tests, surpassing former captain Mithali Raj, who had previously held the record with three wins.
Most Test wins by an Indian women’s captain
Captain Test wins Matches as captain
Harmanpreet Kaur 4 5
Mithali Raj 3 8
Anjum Chopra 1 3
Shantha Rangaswamy 1 12
Harmanpreet’s only defeat as Test captain came against Australia in Perth earlier this year. Apart from that setback, she has led India to memorable victories over England, Australia, South Africa and now England again at Lord’s.
Historic win built on all-round dominance
India’s victory was powered by standout performances across departments. Yastika Bhatia produced a magnificent century to become the first woman cricketer to score a Test hundred at Lord’s, while Smriti Mandhana laid the foundation with another crucial innings at the top.
Captain Harmanpreet also contributed with a valuable 58 in the first innings, helping India post a competitive total before the visitors seized complete control of the contest.
With the ball, Kranti Gaud starred with her maiden five-wicket haul and earned a place on the prestigious Lord’s Honours Board. Sayali Satghare, Sneh Rana and Deepti Sharma chipped in with timely breakthroughs as England were bowled out for 186 while chasing an imposing 457-run target.
Another milestone for Harmanpreet Kaur
The Lord’s triumph also made Harmanpreet the Indian woman with the most Test victories as captain, while she moved closer to the all-time record among women’s Test skippers.
Already the most successful Indian captain in Women’s T20Is and the captain with the most international wins across women’s cricket for India, Harmanpreet has now added another historic achievement to her glittering leadership resume.
