Ladies win at Lord’s, and how!

India’s win itself wasn’t surprising. Apart from India, none of the other nations has a full-fledged red-ball competition

As the Indian women’s team completed a 270-run win over England in the first-ever women’s Test to be played at Lord’s, the feeling was that cricket had taken another step in the right direction. India’s 22-year-old pacer Kranti Gaud became the first woman on the Test honours board at Lord’s. She was joined shortly after by Yastika Bhatia, who became the first woman to score a Test century at Lord’s.

With this win, administrators and the fans in other countries might be convinced of the appeal of what remains the purest form of the game. (Reuters)

India’s win itself wasn’t surprising. Harmanpreet Kaur leads a squad that has more experienced red-ball cricketers than most other teams. Indeed, apart from India, none of the other nations has a full-fledged red-ball competition. Most countries believe that the women’s game is all about the white-ball format. With this win, perhaps administrators and the fans in other countries might be convinced of the appeal of what remains the purest form of the game.

Sentiment apart, playing red-ball cricket also means a better technical foundation and every team will be helped by that in the long run. It will also build a larger group of players for each nation and that bench strength will add variety to the game. India’s win could serve as a wake-up call for other cricketing nations.

There is also the significance of the venue where Indian women achieved their win. Women couldn’t even become MCC members until 1998 and female spectators were barred from entering the Pavilion and Long Room until 1999. So, the decision to host a Test at a venue widely regarded as the spiritual home of cricket was important. It has been a slow journey to this point but every such move strengthens the status of the women’s game. The first ever women’s match played at the venue was in 1976 when England and Australia played an ODI. Women did not play there again for 11 years.

Administrators around the world must now collectively ensure that Lord’s doesn’t wait 11 years for the next Test.