Yastika Bhatia's first international century at Lord's is not just a tale of breaking records; it's a testament to her incredible resilience. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter faced a tough road after tearing the ACL in her left knee during a training camp last year, which kept her off the field for months. But she made a stunning comeback, scoring a historic hundred against England in the one-off Women's Test. After undergoing surgery in October, she missed out on India's victorious home ODI World Cup run and the Women's Premier League earlier this year. With a solid 113 runs off 158 balls, Bhatia expressed her gratitude for Smriti Mandhana's unwavering support during her rehabilitation, which helped her maintain a positive outlook. Looking back on her journey, she emphasized that hard work, family encouragement, and taking small steps were key to her comeback.

Bhatia revealed that Mandhana's words during rehabilitation stayed with her throughout the recovery period, as she said, β€œShe told me that after her injury she learned so much through rehab and cricket, and that it completely changed her. She said my mindset would also change, that my game would go to a different level. Those words stayed with me. Keep doing your hard work. You are a sincere kid, you are a good human. One day your time will come.”

She assured Bhatia that patience and hard work would eventually pay off and that the experience would strengthen both her mindset and her game. Those conversations, Bhatia said, gave her confidence during uncertain moments.

India Close in on Historic Lord's Victory After Dominant Day 3

England's captain, Nat Sciver-Brunt, won the toss and opted to bowl first in the historic inaugural women's Test at Lord's. India responded with a thoughtful batting display, striking a balance between caution and aggression to post a solid 285 in 74.5 overs. Smriti Mandhana was the standout performer, scoring 83 off 108 balls, while Harmanpreet Kaur and Deepti Sharma contributed with fifties, making 58 and 57 respectively.

In reply, England's innings crumbled under the pressure applied by Kranti Gaud, who took 5 wickets for just 37 runs in her second Test, bowling the hosts out for 170 and giving India a first-innings lead of 115 runs. India then strengthened their position in the second innings, with Mandhana scoring 70 and Bhatia achieving a historic 113, the first women's Test century at Lord's. Richa Ghosh chipped in with an unbeaten fifty as India declared at 341 for 7, setting England a daunting target of 457 for victory.

England's chase never really took off. Kranti Gaud, along with Sayali Satghare and Sneh Rana, dismantled the top order quickly, leaving England struggling at 59 for 5. Amy Jones tried to mount a comeback with an unbeaten half-century, and Mady Villiers added 26, but by the end of Day 3, England found themselves at 130 for 6, still needing 327 runs with only four wickets in hand.