Kranti Gaud's 5-wicket haul at Lord's makes history, first woman on honours board
Synopsis
Kranti Gaud did what no woman cricketer had ever done — walked up to the Lord's honours board and wrote her name on it. Her five-wicket haul against England on Day 2 was not just a personal milestone; it shattered a historic barrier at the Home of Cricket, making her the youngest Indian woman pacer to take a Test five-for and the first woman ever inscribed on one of sport's most iconic boards.
Key Takeaways
Kranti Gaud became the first woman in cricket history to be inscribed on the Lord's Test honours board on 12 July .
Her five-wicket haul bowled England out for 170 , handing India a crucial first-innings lead.
At 22 , she is the youngest Indian woman fast bowler to take a Test five-for, edging out Jhulan Goswami by 28 days .
She is only the third Indian woman pacer with a Test five-for, joining Jhulan Goswami and Gargi Banerjee .
It is the first five-wicket haul by an Indian woman fast bowler in Tests since Goswami's double five-for at Taunton in 2006 .
India ended Day 2 at 154/1 , holding a 269-run lead heading into Day 3 .
Kranti Gaud became the first woman cricketer in history to have her name inscribed on the iconic Test honours board at Lord's on Day 2 of India's one-off Test against England on Saturday, 12 July, after claiming a stunning five-wicket haul that bowled England out for 170 and handed India a crucial first-innings lead.
The Historic Five-Wicket Spell
The 22-year-old pacer dismantled England's batting lineup with precision, removing Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Lauren Bell to complete a memorable five-for. The haul was the centrepiece of India's stranglehold over the match, with the visitors ending Day 2 at 154/1, commanding a 269-run lead heading into Day 3.
The Moment at the Honours Board
The landmark was captured on video by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which showed Kranti walking up to the famous honours board and carefully inscribing her name among the all-time greats of the game. Her family, watching remotely via video call, witnessed one of the proudest moments of her young career. Teammates and support staff gathered around the board, breaking into loud applause as the inscription was completed.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur was also seen congratulating Kranti's family in a touching exchange that followed the historic achievement. Days before the Test commenced, Kranti had spoken of this very dream. 'The Lord's Honours Board is very famous because the name of the person who picks five wickets is noted on the board. We are also very excited to take five wickets and get our name on the board,' she had said in a video shared by the BCCI.
Records Broken and Milestones Reached
Kranti's performance rewrote multiple chapters of Indian women's cricket history in a single afternoon. At 22, she became the youngest Indian woman fast bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in Test cricket, surpassing the legendary Jhulan Goswami, who was 28 days older when she achieved the same feat against England in New Delhi in 2005.
She is now only the third Indian woman pacer to register a Test five-for, joining Jhulan Goswami and Gargi Banerjee in an elite list. Notably, it is also the first five-wicket haul by an Indian woman fast bowler in Test cricket since Goswami claimed five wickets in both innings against England at Taunton in 2006 — a gap of nearly two decades.
What This Means for Women's Cricket
The moment carries significance well beyond personal milestones. Lord's, widely regarded as the Home of Cricket, has maintained its Test honours board as one of the sport's most coveted recognitions. No woman had ever featured on it until Kranti's name went up on 12 July. This comes amid growing global momentum for women's Test cricket, with series like this one-off match helping elevate the format's visibility and prestige.
India's commanding position heading into Day 3 means the team has every opportunity to press for a historic result at one of cricket's most storied venues.
Point of View
But it also exposes how long women's Test cricket has been kept at the margins of the sport's grandest stages. The fact that no woman had ever featured on that board before 12 July 2025 — decades after women's Tests began — says as much about structural access as it does about individual achievement. India's investment in pace bowling depth is now paying dividends at the highest level, yet the rarity of women's Test matches means such moments remain exceptions rather than a rhythm. The real measure of progress will be whether series like this one-off become multi-match fixtures, giving more players the chance to write their names into history.
NationPress
12 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kranti Gaud and why is she in the news?
Kranti Gaud is a 22-year-old Indian woman fast bowler who made history on 12 July by becoming the first woman cricketer ever to have her name inscribed on the Lord's Test honours board. She achieved the feat after taking a five-wicket haul against England in India's one-off Test at Lord's.
What records did Kranti Gaud break with her five-wicket haul?
Kranti became the youngest Indian woman fast bowler to take a Test five-for, surpassing Jhulan Goswami, who was 28 days older when she achieved the feat in 2005. She is also only the third Indian woman pacer to register a Test five-for, and it is the first such haul by an Indian woman fast bowler since Goswami's performance at Taunton in 2006.
Which England batters did Kranti Gaud dismiss in her five-wicket haul?
Kranti removed Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Lauren Bell to complete her five-wicket haul, helping bowl England out for 170.
What is India's position in the one-off Test after Day 2?
India ended Day 2 at 154/1, holding a commanding 269-run first-innings lead over England. The team heads into Day 3 in a strong position to push for a historic win at Lord's.
What is the Lord's Test honours board?
The Lord's Test honours board is a prestigious recognition at Lord's Cricket Ground — widely regarded as the Home of Cricket — that records the names of players who take five wickets or score a century in a Test match at the venue. Kranti Gaud became the first woman ever to be inscribed on it.
