‘Absolutely delighted’: Harmanpreet Kaur's father hails India women's historic Lord's Test triumph

India Women's captain Harmanpreet Kaur's father, Harmandar Singh Bhullar, has expressed immense joy after the team created history with a resounding 270-run victory over England in the first-ever women's Test at Lord's.

Celebrating the landmark achievement, Bhullar praised the side's all-round display and credited every player for contributing to the memorable success.

"They won by a huge margin, and we are absolutely delighted. We are truly grateful to Waheguru for helping our daughter reach this milestone. We thank him profusely. The entire team contributed with excellent batting, fielding, and bowling. They played brilliantly, brought glory to the country, and won the Test match," he told ANI.

India delivered a dominant performance throughout the one-off Test, extending their impressive recent record to seven victories, three draws and only one defeat in their last 11 Test matches.

Batting first, India posted 285 before restricting England to 170, securing a valuable first-innings lead of 115 runs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur anchored the innings with 58, while Smriti Mandhana made 83 and Deepti Sharma added a useful 57.

Also read: Team India stun England with historic 270‑run victory in first women’s Test at Lord’s  

The visitors strengthened their grip on the contest in the second innings as Yastika Bhatia became the first woman to score a Test century at Lord's. Her landmark hundred, supported by Mandhana's 70 and Richa Ghosh's unbeaten half-century, helped India declare at 341/7, leaving England with a challenging target of 457.

England failed to mount a serious chase as debutant fast bowler Kranti Gaud, who had claimed a five-wicket haul in the first innings, combined effectively with Deepti Sharma to dismantle the batting line-up. Deepti claimed four wickets in the second innings as England were dismissed for 186 on the fourth day, sealing a comprehensive Indian victory.

The defeat also brought the international careers of England veterans Heather Knight and Tammy Beaumont to a close on a disappointing note at the Home of Cricket.

India's victory carried additional historical significance, arriving exactly 24 years after Sourav Ganguly's iconic shirt-waving celebration at Lord's following India's NatWest Trophy triumph over England on July 13, 2002. On the same date in 2026, Harmanpreet Kaur's team etched another memorable chapter at the famous venue by becoming the first women's side to win a Test match at Lord's, underlining India's growing strength in the longest format. (ANI)