After becoming the first woman to achieve a Test century at the “Home of Cricket” on Sunday, Yastika Bhatia said it seemed “unbelievable” to have earned a coveted spot on the Lord’s honors boards.
India’s second-innings 341-7 victory on Sunday, which required England to score a massive 427 to win the first women’s Test at Lord’s, was built around Bhatia’s 113.
In a contest being played 142 years—and 150 matches—after the first men’s Test at the famed London ground, England had fallen to 130-6 at stumps on the third day of four, with India in a strong position to win.
Only six months after undergoing surgery for an anterior cruciate ligament damage in her left knee, Bhatia’s innings—her first international century—was all the more noteworthy. In addition, the 25-year-old had to keep wickets at Lord’s despite London’s extreme heat.
“I think it’s unbelievable. Six months ago, I was in a very different place. And if you would have told me then I would have my name on the honours board, I wouldn’t have believed it,” AFP quoted Bhatia telling reporters after stumps.
Smriti Mandhana, a fellow left-hander who scored 83 in India’s first innings before being removed for 70, batted alongside Bhatia for a portion of her innings. Bhatia added that in addition to appreciating the opener’s batting prowess, Mandhana had given her crucial advice during her recovery from an ACL injury.
“I had a conversation with her and she just looked at me and she said this is going to be the turning point in your career. We also met when I was in rehab and a little nervous But she said ‘you are a sincere kid, you are a good human — just keep doing the hard work and your time will come’.”
However, Bhatia emphasized that returning to full fitness had been a difficult journey.
“I had to start from scratch,” she explained. “Each muscle you train, all the muscles around the knee you have to train. And then slowly, slowly progress will happen, not like in one or two days. So it’s very frustrating missing out on big tournaments and just doing rehab.”
Bhatia expressed gratitude to her family for their support and claimed that her passion for cricket was reignited via wicket-keeping training.
“Just catches I did, not even batting, first I did keeping. So I was very happy. That day I was like a little kid smiling whole day that I did keeping after four months… And I felt the love of the game again after that.”
On the opening ball of Sunday’s game, Bhatia was still on her overnight 39 not out when Lauren Bell’s delivery brushed her off stump without moving the bails. This was her one lucky moment.
However, she was in total control after that, and was unbeaten on 91 at lunch.
After the interval, Bhatia sped to her century in the first over without experiencing any “nervous 90s.” Issy Wong’s straight fours took her to 99 before the fast bowler’s single completed a century in 145 balls, including 12 fours.
“I thought that if I get some loose deliveries, I’ll try to make the most of it,” Bhatia explained.
“There was no rush from the dressing room, no extra pressure. We also had wickets in hand. I always play best when I play for the team, so I was thinking that if we accelerate here, get some runs at good pace, it will be good.”
England left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone also earned a spot on the honors boards with a five-wicket haul after Bhatia eventually holed out to her.
“She batted so well, and she really deserved that,” said Ecclestone of Bhatia. “It’s pretty cool for her to be on the honours board.”
