{"id":252670,"date":"2026-07-12T21:59:03","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T21:59:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/12\/india-close-on-victory-against-england-as-bhatia-and-ecclestone-make-history\/"},"modified":"2026-07-12T21:59:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T21:59:03","slug":"india-close-on-victory-against-england-as-bhatia-and-ecclestone-make-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/12\/india-close-on-victory-against-england-as-bhatia-and-ecclestone-make-history\/","title":{"rendered":"India close on victory against England as Bhatia and Ecclestone make history"},"content":{"rendered":"

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India are poised for victory in the one-off Test at Lord\u2019s after reducing England to 130 for six in their second innings<\/a>, having spent the first two sessions of the day batting them out of the game.<\/p>\n

Yastika Bhatia became the first woman to score a century in a Lord\u2019s Test, as India piled on the runs before finally declaring on 341 for seven, 456 runs ahead. Bhatia underwent anterior cruciate ligament surgery last year, and had to rebuild her leg muscles from scratch; here was just reward for months of hard rehab.<\/p>\n

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Bhatia thanked her parents, \u00adsister and doctors for their support. \u201cIt\u2019s unbelievable,\u201d she said. \u201cSix months ago I was in a very different place and if you had told me I would have my name on the honours board I wouldn\u2019t have believed you.\u201d<\/p>\n

In reply, Tammy Beaumont\u2019s fairy\u00adtale ending turned into a horror story when Kranti Gaud bowled her for a golden duck; Heather Knight, who announced her own retirement on Saturday evening, flicked a catch up to Richa Ghosh at short leg for 13. In both cases, the Indian fielders quickly assembled for a guard of honour to see two of England\u2019s greats off the pitch, but it was scant consolation at 59 for five and staring down the barrel.<\/p>\n

Resistance from Mady Villiers, who faced 63 balls for her 26 runs, and Amy Jones, who brought up a second half-century of the match just before the close, ensured this match will go into a fourth day.<\/p>\n

The only bright spot for England on a torrid day was the performance of Sophie Ecclestone, who toiled without a break for the first two sessions, as usual bearing the brunt of England\u2019s bowling load. After trapping \u00adHarmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma lbw, and tempting Bhatia down the track to be caught at extra cover, she skidded one into the stumps of Sneh Rana and was rewarded with her own slice of history. Five wickets in the innings means she is the first woman on the Test honours board in the home dressing room.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s pretty special,\u201d Ecclestone said. \u201cI\u2019m in the Lord\u2019s changing room for ever now.\u201d She said she had shed tears when running on to the field on Sunday morning, after \u00adlearning of Knight\u2019s decision to \u201cdo a Ben Stokes\u201d and announce her retirement mid-Test. \u201cShe\u2019s been around ever since I made my debut. For her to be at extra cover always cheering me on, I feel like I can\u2019t really imagine this cricket team without her.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>Heather Knight decided to \u2018do a Ben Stokes\u2019 and announce her retirement mid-Test against India at Lord\u2019s.<\/span> Photograph: Stu Forster\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Knight has known for the past three months that this would be her last match for England, but decided during the tea break on Saturday that she would make the decision public on the evening of day two. \u201cIt just felt like the right time,\u201d she said. \u201cI grabbed Tammy [Beaumont] and apologised for stealing her thunder as we were leaving the pitch, and told Nat [Sciver-Brunt] then, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

For someone who has been such a passionate advocate for women\u2019s Test cricket, it seemed like curious timing when England needed to focus on saving this match. Perhaps, after conceding a deficit of 115 on first innings, it had felt like a way to galvanise her teammates; perhaps someone who had served England so prolifically for 16 years felt she had earned the right to decide her own timings? Either way, such was India\u2019s dominance that the announcement proved academic to the final result.<\/p>\n

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