Lord's hosts its first-ever Women's Test on July 10 — 50 years after Rachael Heyhoe Flint first led England there

The ‘home of cricket’, Lord’s, will host its first-ever women’s Test to be played between India and England in 2026, as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) announced two years ago. The game will take place on July 10 as history is waiting to be written at the venue, and the players will be part of it. 

At the start of July 2026, more than 30000 tickets had already been snapped up across the four days of the game, making it one of the world’s best-attended women’s Test matches ever. The fans will have an opportunity to witness a landmark occasion and help create an unforgettable atmosphere as the two sides walk out at Lord’s for the one-off Women’s Test match. 

The ECB, on its website, revealed the plans after the end of the three-match ODI series between the two sides in July 2025. As of now, these two teams have played nine Tests so far in England from June 1986, with their previous clash at Bristol in June 2021 ending in a draw.

“I’m also delighted we can confirm that India Women will return in 2026 to take on England Women in the first-ever women’s Test match at Lord’s. It will be a truly special occasion, and one of real significance. It has also been confirmed that India Women will return in 2026 for a one-off Test match at Lord’s — the first-ever Women’s Test to be staged at the Home of Cricket.” The ECB CEO, Richard Gould, said in 2025.

“England Women have played white-ball matches at Lord’s for the past three years, with another scheduled next year, but it will be the first time the ground has hosted a Women’s Test match.” He revealed.

As of now, England and Australia have faced each other in 27 women’s Tests on English soil, and most of the games have been played at the Kennington Oval in South London, while Trent Bridge hosted the last Women’s Ashes Test in 2023, where the hosts lost by 89 runs. But none of those games were played at Lord’s, and that’s where the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side will make history.

Why this Lord's Test is a landmark moment for Women's Cricket

The four-day encounter promises some world-class cricket between the world-class teams, but the occasion will be huge with Lord’s transforming into a celebration of women’s cricket, its history and the future. 

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The England vs India Test sits at the heart of a record-breaking English summer for women’s cricket at Lord’s, which would have hosted 21 women’s fixtures during 2026, ranging from international cricket and domestic competitions to pathway finals. After three group-stage clashes of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, the final would also take place at this ground. 

More than 50 legends of the women’s game for the England side will return to Lord’s across the Test, including members of the side that played the first women’s international game at this ground in 1976, such as Enid Bakewell.

A special opening ceremony will also take place that recognises the impact they have had on cricket in the country, before taking part in the five-minute Bell Ringing Ceremony on the outfield to mark the historic beginning.

The venue will also unveil a significant expansion of its portrait collection, through new portraits as it celebrates some of the game’s greatest players. On the second day’s play, the famous Bell will be rung by the England legend, Ebony Rainford-Brent, while on Day 3, Sally Brooks will ring it. She is the former ECB senior event manager, whose 25-year-old team helped deliver some memorable moments of the game.

Across the game, there will be live entertainment, including performances from the Indian dancers and musicians, including the visiting team and their supporters. In recent years, the MCC has celebrated the women’s game through permanent additions around the ground, including the Rachel Heyhoe Flinte Gate, exhibitions in the MCC Museum and a portrait of Charlotte Edwards in the iconic Long Room.

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The fans and supporters, with their massive attendance, will have a chance to be there when history is made and help give England and India the welcome the landmark occasion deserves.

Who was Rachael Heyhoe Flint and what happened at Lord's 50 years ago?

Rachael Heyhoe Flint was a legendary England player who captained them to victory in the inaugural 1973 Women’s World Cup. Fifty years ago, in August 1976, she led the England side against Australia in the first-ever women’s match played at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground, as it shattered the sport’s most famous gender barrier.

Before that historic match, women were barred from entering the venue’s sacred spaces, such as the Long Room. Flint’s fierce campaigning for the game, backed by the threat of filing a case with the Equal Opportunities Commission, compelled the MCC to host the landmark fixture, which the hosts won by eight wickets in hand.

During the contest, Australia batted first and posted a decent score of 161 runs, getting bundled out for 59.4 overs. Sharon Tredra smacked 54 runs with the help of seven boundaries while Marie Cornish drilled 27 runs, thanks to her three boundaries. For England, both Enid Bakewell and Jan Allen picked up two wickets each.

The hosts completed the chase in 56.2 overs with eight wickets in hand as Bakewell also contributed with a half-century with the help of six boundaries along with Chris Watmough’s 50-run knock.

India vs England Women: A Look Back at Their Test History

India women have overall faced England in 15 Tests, out of which they have won in three games and lost in just one. The victories came in Taunton in 2006, followed by in Wormsley in 2014 and in Navi Mumbai in 2021. The only defeat for the blue brigade came in 1995 in Jamshedpur.

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The previous clash between the two sides took place in 2023 at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, where the home side batted first and posted a massive score of 428 runs, thanks to four fifties from Yastika Bhatia, Shubha Satheesh, Deepti Sharma and Jemimah Rodrigues. In reply, the visitors were bundled out for just 136 as Deepti picked up 5/7 in 5.3 overs.

India showed aggression in the second innings and declared on 186/6 before getting the win by 347 runs as Deepti Sharma returned with 4/32 in eight overs.

India Women’s previous Test victories in England came in 2014 at Wormsley. The hosts had a horrible batting show to get bundled out for 92, with Niranjana Nagarajan ending with 4/19. The blue brigade could manage only a small lead of 22 runs, with Jenny Gunn ending with 5/19.

But despite England’s decent batting in the second innings, India were able to complete the successful chase by six wickets with Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj celebrating their respective fifties.

Results of India women vs England women Test matches- 

Can India beat England at Lord's this July?

England will have a stiff challenge in turning up for the Test match, just four days after the final of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 against Australia at the same venue. It won’t be easy for the players to shift the mindset and approach from the shortest format to four-day cricket.

Moreover, being an International Cricket Council (ICC) event final, there will be a raw of emotions flowing inside the players’ minds, which will also play a crucial part in the game. India, meanwhile, have a break for nearly a week to get freshen up and put full focus on the Women’s Test. 

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Lord’s won’t be easy to bat, especially with the slope. But in the modern era, where most of the players have been part of the shortest format and The Hundred, they know the conditions, and it won’t take a long time for them to shift to the conditions of the red-ball encounter.

England Women squad: Sophia Dunkley, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Nat Sciver-Brunt (c), Tammy Beaumont, Amy Jones (wk), Alice Capsey, Em Arlott, Sophie Ecclestone, Lauren Filer, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell.

India Women squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Varma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Pratika Rawal, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wk.), Sree Charani, Yastika Bhatia (WK), Nandini Sharma, Harleen Deol, Renuka Thakur, Kranti Gaud, Sayali Satghare, Sneh Rana.

Lord's hosts its first-ever Women's Test on July 10- FAQs