Yastika Bhatia’s first international century at Lord’s isn’t just about setting records; it’s a powerful story of her remarkable resilience. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter faced a challenging journey after tearing the ACL in her left knee during a training camp last year, which sidelined her for months. However, she made an incredible comeback, scoring a historic hundred against England in the one-off Women’s Test. After undergoing surgery in October, she missed out on India’s triumphant home ODI World Cup run and the Women’s Premier League earlier this year. With a solid 113 runs off 158 balls, Bhatia expressed her heartfelt gratitude for Smriti Mandhana’s steadfast support during her rehabilitation, which played a crucial role in keeping her spirits high. Reflecting on her journey, she highlighted that hard work, encouragement from her family, and taking small steps were essential to her successful return.
Bhatia revealed that Mandhana’s words during rehabilitation stayed with her throughout the recovery period, as she said, “She told me that after her injury she learned so much through rehab and cricket, and that it completely changed her. She said my mindset would also change, that my game would go to a different level. Those words stayed with me. Keep doing your hard work. You are a sincere kid, you are a good human. One day your time will come.”
She assured Bhatia that patience and hard work would eventually pay off and that the experience would strengthen both her mindset and her game. Those conversations, Bhatia said, gave her confidence during uncertain moments.
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India Edge Closer To Lord’s Victory After Day 3
England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt won the toss and chose to bowl first in the historic first women’s Test at Lord’s. India responded with a measured batting effort, balancing caution with intent to post 285 in 74.5 overs. Smriti Mandhana led the scoring with 83 from 108 balls, while Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma added fifties with 58 and 57 respectively.
England’s reply collapsed under the pressure created by Kranti Gaud, who claimed 5 for 37 in just her second Test to bowl the hosts out for 170 and hand India a first-innings lead of 115 runs. India then tightened their grip in the second innings through Mandhana’s 70 and Bhatia’s landmark 113, the first women’s Test century at Lord’s. Richa Ghosh added an unbeaten fifty as India declared on 341 for 7, setting England 457 for victory.
England’s chase never really took off. Kranti Gaud, along with Sayali Satghare and Sneh Rana, dismantled the top order quickly, leaving England struggling at 59 for 5. Amy Jones tried to mount a comeback with an unbeaten half-century, and Mady Villiers added 26, but by the end of Day 3, England found themselves at 130 for 6, still needing 327 runs with only four wickets in hand.
