Yastika Bhatia’s maiden international century at Lord’s was the reward for months of patience, rehabilitation and belief. The wicketkeeper-batter became the first woman to have her name etched on the Lord’s Test batting Honours Board, scoring a superb 113 off 158 balls in India’s only Test against England. It was not only her first international century across formats, but also the highest score of her international career, capping an extraordinary comeback less than a year after undergoing ACL surgery.
The innings carried far more significance than just three figures. Bhatia had been out of action since October after injuring her left knee during a training camp, an injury that forced her to miss India’s successful ODI World Cup campaign at home and the Women’s Premier League. She returned to international cricket only during the ongoing England tour, and at Lord’s completed one of the most memorable chapters of her comeback.
Looking back on the moment after play, Bhatia admitted that standing on the Lord’s Honours Board had once felt unimaginable. “It’s unbelievable because six months ago I was in a very different place and if you would have told me that I would have my name on the honours board I wouldn’t have believed it. But it’s all small steps to that place and I have worked really hard and my family’s support was there since my beginning so all of that really paid off today. It’s a really great feeling.”
A key figure during that recovery was Smriti Mandhana. Having herself battled back from an ACL injury early in her career, Mandhana became someone Bhatia leaned on while navigating months of rehabilitation. Bhatia revealed it was Mandhana’s words away from the middle that had left the biggest impact.
“She told me, ‘after that injury I learned so much about everything, little, little things in rehab in cricket, so it completely changed me, so I think for you also it will be like that and your entire mindset will change, your game will go into a different level, I’m sensing that for you.’ I was a little nervous about how things will go but she said, ‘keep doing your hard work, you are a sincere kid, you are a good human, just keep doing hard work and one day your time will come’. She gave me those reassuring words and she helped me then.”
The recovery itself was built around celebrating small victories. Bhatia revealed that wicketkeeping, rather than batting, was the first cricketing skill she could resume after surgery, making that return to gloves particularly emotional. “Just catches I did, not even batting, first I did keeping, so I was very happy, that day I was like a little kid, smiling the whole day that I did keeping after four months. Those moments are very priceless, and I felt the love of the game again after that.”
Those small milestones eventually led to one of the biggest moments of her career. Her century at Lord’s was built with patience and composure before she accelerated to reach three figures in 145 deliveries. By the time she walked back for 113, she had secured her place in the history of one of cricket’s most iconic venues.
For Bhatia, the innings was also a reminder of what carried her through the toughest phase of her career. “That should always remain for all players, whatever setbacks you have, however deep that setback is, the love for the game, the belief in yourself, that’s very, very crucial to come out of it from that rock bottom and just rise up.”
From months of rehabilitation to a maiden international hundred on the game’s grandest stage, Bhatia’s journey came full circle at Lord’s. The innings was not just the best of her career statistically, but one that transformed a long road back from injury into a place on cricket’s most famous honours board.
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