Former India pace-bowling all-rounder Niranjana Nagarajan has called India's 270-run victory over England in the first-ever women's Test at Lord's a watershed moment — one that she believes must now compel cricket's administrators to expand the women's red-ball schedule to multi-match series.

A Historic Win at the Home of Cricket

On 13 July, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side dismissed England for 186 to complete the landmark triumph. Wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia struck 113 — the first century by any woman in a Test at Lord's — while pacer Kranti Gaud's five-wicket haul earned her a coveted place on the iconic Honours Board. Off-spin all-rounder Sneh Rana then wrapped up the second innings with a four-wicket haul, sealing what is India's second-highest win by runs in Women's Tests and the fourth-largest overall.

What Niranjana Said

'It will go down as one of the best moments Indian women's cricket has witnessed. Yes, we won the World Cup, and that will top the charts, but Test cricket is the ultimate form of cricket,' said Niranjana, who herself played 2 Tests, 22 ODIs, and 14 T20Is for India. She highlighted the collective nature of the win — crediting Harmanpreet's trust in Gaud since her debut, the management's faith in an injury-returning Bhatia, and the commanding contributions of Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet in the first innings. 'We are improving day by day as a team... the players are feeling happy for each other's performances,' she said.

Impact on Domestic Women's Cricket

Niranjana argued that the Lord's win will send an immediate ripple through India's women's domestic circuit. 'Those girls are looking up to the Indian team for inspiration. This Test win is going to make a huge impact on the way domestic cricket back home and the longer-format inter-zonals is played,' she said. She added that selection pressure will intensify as more Tests come India's way, driving up quality across the board.

The Case for More Women's Tests

With women's red-ball cricket still largely confined to one-off fixtures, Niranjana made a pointed case for structural change. 'Now is the right time for women's cricket at the global level to increase the number of Tests — say, a three-match or five-match series — because we can sustain four days now,' she said. She noted that Indian women are no longer getting bowled out cheaply; they are batting for three to four sessions and returning to bowl the next day. 'Test matches should be a part of their schedule because they have proven their skills,' she added, specifically referencing tours to SENA countries (South Africa, England, New Zealand, Australia).

A Benchmark Set, With More to Come

Niranjana also noted that a legendary figure — widely understood to be Sachin Tendulkar, referred to in the source as 'the great master blaster' — visited the team and acknowledged their place in history. 'You will always remain the first team to have done this here,' she quoted him as saying, calling those words a source of lasting motivation. She concluded that while India can still improve in T20s, in Tests and ODIs 'we are the team to beat now.' The Lord's result, she believes, will also push other international boards to raise the standard of their women's red-ball programmes.