Yastika Bhatia’s maiden international century could not have come at a more iconic venue. The left-handed wicketkeeper-batter brought up her first-ever hundred across international cricket during the one-off Test against England at Lord’s, reaching the milestone in 145 balls and becoming the first woman to score a Test century at the Home of Cricket. It was also the highest score of her career in any format, surpassing her previous best of 69, and secured her place on the Lord’s Honours Board.
Resuming Day 3 unbeaten on 39 after ending the previous evening alongside Smriti Mandhana, Bhatia continued to bat with remarkable composure. She reached her half-century from 86 deliveries, striking six boundaries, before steadily converting the start into something far more significant. With India already holding a 115-run first-innings lead after bowling England out for 170, Bhatia ensured there would be no way back for the hosts.
Her innings was built on patience, control and intelligent shot selection. She first added to the overnight stand with Mandhana, who contributed 69 before falling early on the third morning. Bhatia then stitched together partnerships with Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma, keeping India’s innings moving despite England’s attempts to slow the scoring.
Harmanpreet made 16 before falling to Lauren Bell after a successful review, while Deepti remained alongside Bhatia during a crucial fifth-wicket stand that carried India beyond the 300-run mark. Bhatia reached three figures immediately after lunch, bringing up the landmark off 145 deliveries with 12 fours, before eventually departing for 113(158), an innings containing 14 boundaries.
The hundred marked a significant personal milestone for the 25-year-old. Before this innings, Bhatia had played three Tests without a century, while her highest international scores had been 66 in Tests, 64 in ODIs and 54 in T20Is. Her Lord’s hundred was therefore not only her maiden Test century but also the first international century of her career and her highest score across all formats.
It also added another chapter to India’s memorable week at Lord’s. A day after Kranti Gaud became the first woman to enter the Lord’s bowling honours board with figures of 5/37, Bhatia ensured India would have a second name etched into the venue’s history books. In the very first women’s Test played at Lord’s, India produced both the first woman to claim a five-wicket haul at the ground and the first woman to score a Test hundred there.
For Bhatia personally, the innings was a statement of resilience. Injuries had interrupted her progress over the past few years, and opportunities across formats had not always translated into substantial scores. At Lord’s, she produced the defining knock of her career, an innings that combined discipline with fluency and rewarded persistence with a place on one of cricket’s most celebrated honours boards.
By the time she walked back after her 113, Bhatia had not only powered India into a commanding position in the Test but had also achieved a milestone every cricketer dreams of. Her maiden international century, her career-best score, and a place in Lord’s history had all arrived together on one unforgettable afternoon.
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