Yastika Bhatia’s historic century at Lord’s will be remembered for the numbers — 113 off 158 balls, her maiden international hundred and the first by a woman to earn a place on the Lord’s Test batting Honours Board. But in a candid conversation with Smriti Mandhana after stumps on Day 3, the innings became a story of resilience, self-belief and the people who helped her navigate the most difficult phase of her career.
Bhatia had spent nearly a year away from the game after suffering an ACL injury ahead of India’s home ODI World Cup last year. The setback not only ruled her out of one of the biggest tournaments of her career but also forced her to miss the Women’s Premier League. Looking back, she admitted there were moments when even a return to the international stage felt uncertain.
“I think it was very tough that one year. Before a major tournament, a home World Cup, everyone dreams of playing in that and before that I got injured. After that I missed the WPL, so it was quite a tough phase. But I had a lot of people backing me.
“There was backing from the team and my family’s support was immense at that time, so I’m very grateful for that. They helped me come out of my situation. If someone had asked me six months ago if my name would be on the Honours Board, I wouldn’t have believed it myself. I’d have said, ‘What are you talking about?’ It feels like a dream.”
Mandhana, who conducted the interview, was quick to point out that Bhatia’s return was no stroke of fortune. Having watched her teammate work through months of rehabilitation, she credited the innings to persistence rather than destiny. “I think God has the most beautiful plans for really nice humans. Yastika has done her work throughout the last one year.”
The emotion of the milestone was evident in Bhatia’s celebration. Although she had thought about marking the century differently, the significance of the moment overtook any plans she had made beforehand. Instead, she kissed the India badge on her helmet, a gesture that reflected what the innings meant after everything she had endured.
“I want to do a lot for India, win a lot for the country and win the World Cup too. It was a very special moment for me that my hundred happened at Lord’s and we have gotten into such a good position in the Test. So, it was a very great moment. I got a little emotional too when I took off the helmet and did that. I was remembering my family’s faces and the one year that I went through. All of that was coming back to me.”
The exchange concluded with Mandhana recalling a conversation from India’s training camp in Bengaluru, when Bhatia was still unsure of how her comeback would unfold. Drawing from her own experience of recovering from a serious knee injury, Mandhana had encouraged her to stay patient and trust the process.
“I remembered in Bengaluru, when just one month was left and we had come for the camp and we met. Yastika was a little doubtful of how she’s going to go and what’s going to happen, how the journey ahead is. I remember just one thing: ‘Just keep on working hard, God will have your own way.’ What better place to do it. Well done, Yastika. Many more to go and keep batting like that.”
For Bhatia, the century will forever remain a landmark innings. Yet the conversation that followed perhaps revealed even more about the journey behind it. One defined by injury, uncertainty and unwavering support. At Lord’s, the scoreboard recorded 113, but the story behind those runs had begun long before she walked out to bat.
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