Kranti Gowd. | Photo credit: Getty Images
Kranti Gaud came wearing dark glasses. And she just couldn’t stop smiling.
It was obvious that she was still living this dream. She became the first woman to be on the Test honors board at Lord’s.
Her devastating score of five for 37 gave India control of the Test match on the second day. England had no answer to the pace and unyielding length.
Before the Test match, she talked about how excited she was to play at Lord’s and get on the honors board. She did even better. She became the first woman to do this (no bowler had taken five wickets or scored a hundred before her).
“I am very proud to be the first woman to have my name inscribed on the Lord’s honors board,” Kranti said. “It’s a proud moment for my family too.”
While all five of her wickets were special, England captain Nat Skiver-Brant’s was even more special. “The captain’s wicket after lunch was the most special; it was difficult for us to penetrate,” she said.
Was she tense when she saw Sne Rana drop the ball from Sophie Ecclestone before Shafali Verma completed it?
She laughed as she talked about that unforgettable fifth wicket. “Sneh really put in a lot of effort to take the catch, but when she couldn’t hold onto it, Shafali gave it her 100 per cent,” Kranthi said. “I lost sight of the ball but then it looked like Shafali had caught the ball. I was going to celebrate my five-wicket haul but my teammates told me to wait for the replay and the decision.”
England wicketkeeper Amy Jones, who top-scored for England with a counter-attacking 52, praised Kranti’s performance. “She had a pinch and she was a handful,” she said. “Fortunately, I didn’t have to see her often.”
Published – Jul 12, 2026 6:57 pm EST.