India’s historic 270-run victory over England in the first-ever women’s Test at Lord’s has reignited conversations around the future of the longest format, with head coach Amol Muzumdar throwing his support behind the introduction of a Women’s World Test Championship. Fresh off India’s landmark triumph, Muzumdar said the growing number of bilateral Tests offered enough reason to begin thinking about a structured global competition.
“Obviously, we would be pleased if that happens. I have always maintained that Test cricket is the ultimate format of the game. Our group knows it. Not just the leadership group, but also the players coming through. They also know that Test cricket is something that we really pride ourselves in.” With India already having played Tests in Australia and England this year he believes the format deserves a bigger stage.
India’s victory at Lord’s showcased exactly why the format continues to hold a unique place in the sport. After taking a 115-run first-innings lead, India piled on 341/7 declared in their second innings, setting England a daunting target of 457. The hosts were eventually bowled out for 186 on the final day as India secured their first Test victory at Lord’s by 270 runs in front of a record attendance of 37,846 across four days for a women’s Test.
Muzumdar pointed to the increasing number of matches as evidence that the women’s game is gradually embracing red-ball cricket. “We will be playing three Test matches this year. We played one in Australia, we played now here at Lord’s, and then we’ve got one in South Africa in December. So, I think there are three Test matches in a year. Why not? But I’m not the one to judge it or throw light on it. But I think if that happens, great.”
India’s success was built on standout performances from both bat and ball. Kranti Gaud, playing just her second Test, followed up her first-innings five-wicket haul with two more wickets in the second innings to finish with match figures of 7/91 and earn the Player of the Match award. Her disciplined spell at Lord’s also made her the first woman to have her name inscribed on the venue’s Test honours board for a five-wicket haul.
Muzumdar reserved special praise for the young seamer’s discipline throughout the match. “I think Kranti, talking about her, the control that she showed was superb. She was just right there in the channel, what we call it. Her control on her line and length was superb. She never erred on the shorter side, probably an odd delivery here and there, but she was more or less on the good-length area… I think she has just got the rewards of sticking to control, the line and length. Good Test-match bowling, I guess.”
With the bat, Yastika Bhatia produced the defining innings of the match. Her composed 113, the first international century of her career and the first by a woman to earn a place on the Lord’s batting honours board, anchored India’s second innings after she had missed more than a year of international cricket because of injury. Muzumdar highlighted not just the hundred itself, but the journey behind it.
“I think it was a special knock. Needless to say that coming at Lord’s has to be a brilliant one… I was really impressed with the way she has come out of the injuries. The last couple of years, she has been tormented with some major injuries, and the way she has defied all those things and stayed true to the game. Also, her shot selection was superb, I felt, and she paced her innings really well. So I guess it was a lovely knock to watch from outside.”
He also reiterated that Bhatia remains India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in the longest format whenever fully fit, underlining the team’s faith in her red-ball credentials. As India celebrated one of the most significant victories in its women’s Test history, Muzumdar’s call for a Women’s World Test Championship reflected a broader hope that landmark performances like those at Lord’s become part of a meaningful, long-term Test calendar.
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