Kranti Gaud’s six-for, Smriti Mandhana’s unbeaten fifty leave India in complete control on Day 2 at Lord’s | Cricket News

Smriti Mandhana (Image: IANS)

India tightened their grip on the historic women’s Test at Lord’s with a near-flawless second day, leaving England staring at a monumental task. After bowling out the hosts for just 170 to secure a first innings total of 115, the visitors battled with authority to reach 154/1 in their second innings, extending their overall lead to 269 runs with nine wickets still in hand.If the opening day belonged to India’s experienced batsmen, Day 2 was defined by Kranti Gaud’s sensational spell before Smriti Mandhana underlined once again why she remains the backbone of India’s batting line-up.

Kranti Gaud produces a career-defining spell

England resumed the morning at 21/1, hoping to clear India’s first innings total of 285. Instead, they ran into an inspired Indian pace attack. Gaud batted early to remove Maia Bouchier before Sneh Rana broke a promising partnership by dismissing Amy Jones, whose 52 off 62 balls was the only bright spot in England’s innings.Once Jones left, England’s resistance quickly faded. Gaud relentlessly attacked the stumps, extracted movement from the Lord’s surface and exposed the lower order with disciplined bowling. She finished with a memorable five-wicket haul, becoming the youngest Indian woman fast bowler to record a Test five-for, surpassing Jhulan Goswami’s previous record.Her spell also marked the first five-wicket haul by a pace bowler in an England Women’s Test since Ellyse Perry’s 6/32 in 2015, while England’s 170 became the third-lowest first-innings total against India at home.

Mandhana and Shafali closed the door to England

Armed with a good first innings, India resisted any temptation to chase quick runs. Instead, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma batted with composure, blunting England’s new-ball attack before taking control.The pair added 88 runs for the opening wicket, frustrating the hosts for almost an entire session. In doing so, they registered their seventh 50-over partnership in Women’s Tests, the most by any pair in the history of the format, surpassing former Indian duo Sandhya Agarwal and Sudha Shah. Shafali looked fluent before falling for 33, trying to catch Sophie Ecclestone, but her dismissal hardly slowed India’s progress.

Mandhana leads again from the front

Mandhana continued her outstanding run with another assured innings, remaining unbeaten on 69 at stumps. The left-hander mixes patience with elegant strokeplay, rarely allowing England’s bowlers to build sustained pressure.Then he found another trusted partner in Yastika Bhatia, who compiled a calm 39 not out. Together, the duo put together an unbeaten fifty-run stand to extend India’s lead well past 250 and leave England with little encouragement going into Day 3.

India Eye Historic Victory at the Home of Cricket

With a lead of 269 runs, nine wickets still intact and six sessions remaining, India enter Day 3 firmly in command.