MUMBAI: England’s coming cricket season promises plenty of buzz for Indian fans, with the Women’s T20 World Cup getting underway on June 12 followed by a landmark one-off Women’s Test at Lord’s. The historic match between India and England is scheduled for July 10-13. It will mark the first Women’s Test ever at the famed “home of cricket,” a venue that previously hosted the 2017 Women’s ODI final featuring both teams. Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur said in the press conference at the BCCI headquarters on Saturday—following the announcement of India’s squads for the 2026 T20 World Cup and the standalone Test—that playing at Lord’s is a lifelong aspiration. “I’m extremely excited about getting the chance to play a Test at Lord’s. It’s a dream for every cricketer to play a Test at the ground. I want to thank the BCCI for this opportunity, and I hope we perform well over the next two months and put our best cricket on display,” she said.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia also highlighted the occasion’s significance, calling it a “marquee” event. He added that the Women’s Test offers a major chance for players to step into the spotlight at cricket’s “Mecca,” and predicted that India would produce “colourful results.”
Just a couple of days earlier, the Marylebone Cricket Club had announced that Lord’s had already surpassed the United Kingdom Women’s Test attendance record for a match of its type, with more than 23,207 tickets sold. The figure stands even though the game is still 10 weeks away from being played.
MCC further described the summer as a watershed moment for women’s sport at the Home of Cricket. It said that fifty years after Rachael Heyhoe Flint first captained a women’s team onto the Main Ground, Lord’s is now set for a season featuring women’s fixtures throughout, highlighted by the inaugural Women’s Test match. With ten weeks remaining, ticket sales have already exceeded the previous peak attendance mark of 23,207 for a Women’s Test in England. The Test is positioned as the leading feature of a record-breaking Lord’s schedule, with 21 women’s games planned. The statement added that supporters will be able to enjoy women’s cricket at the venue, stretching from international clashes to domestic contests and pathway finals.
India’s preparation for the July Test comes after mixed recent experiences in the format. The side were thrashed by Australia by 10 wickets in their one-off pink-ball Test at Perth in March. However, they returned to England for a one-off Test in 2021, held at Bristol from June 16-19, and that match brought strong individual contributions. Opener Shafali Verma produced a standout debut by scoring 96, narrowly missing a century. Allrounder Sneh Rana then delivered in the second innings with an unbeaten 80, while also striking a crucial spell with off-spin—finishing with four wickets for 131 runs in 39.2 overs.
Harmanpreet Kaur said she is drawing confidence from India’s recent showings in English conditions, pointing to their last two tours. She noted that India drew the one-off Test in Bristol in June 2021, even though they lost both the ODI and T20I series 2-1. She also referenced the “double” in England in July 2025, when India beat England in both the T20I series (2-1) and the ODI series (3-2). “We did really well in our last two series in England, both in T20s and England. It’s not that we struggled in England. Again, it’s a new series and we will have to start afresh,” the captain said.
Turning to India’s recent campaign in South Africa, where they lost the series 4-1, chief selector Amita Sharma addressed the main areas that need improvement. She said the team struggled to take wickets in that tour. “We were not able to take wickets in South Africa. We have tried to strengthen bowling. There have been discussions with the captain and coach on how to take early wickets. More than batting, I was more disappointed with bowling,” Amita Sharma remarked.
Amita Sharma also explained why Bharti Fulmali was viewed as the stronger choice than Harleen for a middle-order role in India’s Women’s T20 World Cup plans. She said Harleen was considered for the middle-order position, but the selectors ultimately felt Fulmali gave the better option for T20 cricket. “Harleen was considered for the middle-order slot but we felt that Fulmali is a better option. Harleen continues to be in the scheme of things, as she’s in the Test squad, but Fulmali is a better option for T20s,” Amita said.
Expanding on selection logic, Amita Sharma added that Bharti has backed her place with performances in domestic cricket and the WPL, including helping the team win key matches. She described Bharti as a fit for the No. 6/7 role, while also pointing out that Nandani is an accomplished WPL performer and one of the top wicket-takers. Harmanpreet Kaur echoed the confidence in squad depth, stating that even with India’s leading players absent, others will make an impact and there are strong alternatives available. “Bharti has proven herself in domestic and WPL. Has helped win crucial matches. She is a perfect fit for the No. 6/7 slot that we are looking for. Nandani also is a proven performer in WPL and is among the top wicket-takers. Despite losing our top players, I am sure they will come to the fore and we have got good options in them,” Harmanpreet said.
Harmanpreet Kaur then outlined the “lessons” India drew from the difficult South Africa tour. She emphasised the importance of powerplay cricket in T20s, saying India must focus on scoring quickly while batting and taking wickets during bowling in the opening overs. “I feel that the T20 Powerplays are really important. We have to target runs while batting and wickets while bowling. The Powerplay sets the tone, so we’d like to work hard during the Powerplays. Also the middle order, that’s not focussed too much on. But we will work on all these aspects, based on the lessons from South Africa,” she said.
The captain also backed Jemimah Rodrigues to keep her place at No. 3, despite her not having a strong series in South Africa. Harmanpreet said India’s batting order is now settled and the team does not want to make unnecessary changes. “Our batting order is settled now. Jemimah is one-down and we don’t want to change too many things unnecessarily. She will be back after a dip in South Africa. I’m confident about it,” she added.
Fans were also reminded to stay tuned for ongoing IPL coverage, including live scores, match updates, the schedule, and the points table, along with the battle for the Orange Cap and Purple Cap.
