India women's captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Thursday, 9 July acknowledged that her side endured a 'very hard moment' following their group-stage elimination at the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup, and identified the historic one-off Test match at Lord's against England as the ideal opportunity to rebuild collective confidence. The match, the first women's Test ever played at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground in London, is scheduled to begin on Friday, 10 July.

The Weight of the World Cup Exit

India failed to advance beyond the group stage of the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup — the second consecutive edition in which they missed the semi-finals. Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Harmanpreet did not shy away from the hurt.

'To be honest, it was a very hard moment for all of us because we really prepared hard for the World Cup. But unfortunately, we didn't give our best, and I think this Test match was something that kept us very excited. We all came together as a group, and we all wanted to give our best for this upcoming match. Everyone looks in good shape, and hopefully, we'll enjoy our cricket tomorrow,' she said.

Why Lord's Matters Beyond the Result

For Harmanpreet, the significance of the Lord's Test extends well beyond the scoreboard. She framed a potential victory as a psychological reset for the squad ahead of a packed international calendar.

'Look, I think this Test match is a very big moment for us because if we win this Test match, it can be very good for the team because right now, after the T20 World Cup, everybody was very sad that we couldn't give our best. In patches, we did well, but unfortunately, as a team, we couldn't do so well. But through this Test match, we can cover a lot of things,' she elaborated.

She added that a collective win at the Home of Cricket could restore the belief the side needs going forward: 'If we play together and support each other, and win as a team at that time, I think this victory can bring us a lot of confidence back, and along with that, it will also help us a lot in the upcoming tournaments.'

Spotlight on Debutant N. Sree Charani

Left-arm spinner N. Sree Charani, who finished as the leading wicket-taker at the 2026 ICC Women's T20 World Cup with 14 scalps, is set to make her Test debut at Lord's. Harmanpreet was emphatic in her praise for the youngster.

'Charani is one of our key bowlers. No doubt about it, and the way she performed in the T20 World Cup, she is doing it even before that. I think she has given an option to the team that she is there to bowl all those crucial overs, and whenever the team needs a breakthrough, she is always there for the team,' the captain said.

Harmanpreet noted that having match-winners of Charani's calibre gives her added confidence in her decision-making as captain.

Red-Ball Revival and the BCCI's Role

Harmanpreet also welcomed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)'s renewed push to revive red-ball domestic cricket for women, while calling for better-structured preparation windows for senior players.

'We do need red-ball domestic cricket because earlier we used to have it, but now we play a lot of white-ball. So that's why we shifted more to the white ball than the red ball. But now, as the board is showing so much interest in red-ball, we are definitely getting back our domestic red-ball games,' she said. She did flag a scheduling concern: several senior players missed the recent domestic red-ball fixtures due to concurrent international commitments.

Tributes to Tammy Beaumont and India's Senior Greats

The press conference also carried a note of farewell. England opener Tammy Beaumont will retire from international cricket after this Test, and Harmanpreet paid a warm tribute to her.

'Tammy is one of my dear friends, and I have played a lot of cricket with her. She's a very, very, very nice person and a very nice, very competitive cricketer, and I wish her all the luck, and hopefully her next life brings the same excitement that the cricket field brought to her,' Harmanpreet said.

India face a Nat Sciver-Brunt-led England side at Lord's from Friday, with the result likely to set the tone for both teams' red-ball ambitions in the months ahead.