'Dream win is due to team work' Diana Edulji heaps praise on Harmanpreet Kaur

India players with the trophy after their win over England in the one-off Test at Lord’s in London on Monday. Pic/BCCI

Former India captains Diana Edulji and Shubhangi Kulkarni hailed Harmanpreet Kaur & Co's 270-run win over Nat Sciver-Brunt's England at Lord's Test for being a complete team effort.

Young pacer Kranti Gaud (5-37 and 2-54), wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia (113), opener Smriti Mandhana (83 and 70) and offie Sneh Rana (2-41 and 4-42) emerged as the top contributors in India's triumph in the first-ever women's Test at the iconic venue.

Shubhangi Kulkarni and Diana Edulji

"It's a very good win at the historic Lord's ground. India has never lost a Test match in England [played 10, India won three and three were draws], so it's a great feeling. I remember, when we played a Test against England in 2006, we had eight girls making their debut, and we still beat them. Charlotte Edwards, their current coach, was in their team then," Edulji, who represented the country in 20 Tests and 34 ODIs, told mid-day on Monday.

Kulkarni, who played 19 Tests and 27 ODIs, felt India's aggressive mindset helped. "It's a brilliant performance to win the first-ever women's Test at Lord's. Everybody did well in this match. While batting first, we laid a strong foundation with a positive and aggressive approach, and then our bowlers followed it up with a disciplined effort. Our batting, bowling and fielding, everything was top class. We didn't allow England to come back in the game at all. It's a dominant performance," Kulkarni told mid-day from Pune on Monday.

Edulji went on to list the heroes for Team India at Lord's: "The way Kranti, Sayali [2-40 & 2-24] and the other bowlers performed is good. I think they have proved themselves.

Yastika's batting was excellent. This performance will do wonders to her career and I hope she stays injury free. I'm sad that Smriti missed out on a 100 in both innings. Even she could have had her name on the Lord's Honours Board. Sneh too [4-42 in the second innings]."

24
No. of years since ex-India skipper Sourav Ganguly's shirt-waving celebration at Lord's on this very day (July 13)

Brief scores
India 285 all out and 341-7 declared beat England 170 all out and 186 all out (A Jones 54, S Ecclestone 50; S Rana 4-42, S Satghare 2-24, D Sharma 2-36, K Gaud 2-54) by 270 runs