The China Mail - Bhatia first woman to score Lord's Test century as India run riot

Her hundred was the centrepiece of India's second innings 341-7 declared on the third day of four.

Tea was then taken early in what is the first women's Test at Lord's -- 142 years and 150 matches since the ground staged its debut men's Test.

The home side will need to rewrite the record books if they are to achieve an unlikely win as the highest successful fourth-innings chase to win any women's Test is Australia's 198 against England in Sydney in 2011.

Bhatia might have been dismissed for her overnight 39 off the very first ball of Sunday's play.

The left-hander was beaten on the inside edge by a Lauren Bell delivery that clipped off stump without dislodging the bails.

Bhatia made the most of her good fortune to complete an 86-ball fifty including six fours and was 91 not out at lunch on the third day of four, with India 250-4 in their second innings -- a huge overall lead of 365 runs.

There were no 'nervous 90s' for the 25-year-old, who completed her century -- her first in iany international format -- in the first over after lunch.

She hit Issy Wong for two fours off consecutive balls - a square drive followed by a carve to point -- before a quick single off the fast bowler saw Bhatia to a 145-ball hundred including 12 boundaries.

Bhatia punched the air in delight as her team-mates gathered on the India dressing room balcony in the pavilion to applaud her achievement.

- India greats -

Bhatia joined the likes of India men's greats Vinoo Mankad, Dilip Vengsarkar, Mohammad Azharrudin, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid in scoring a Test century at the 'Home of Cricket'.

She was eventually out for 113 when caught at extra-cover after going down the pitch to Sophie Ecclestone and trying to loft the left-arm spinner over the top.

Bhatia was congratulated by several England fielders as she walked off while receiving a standing ovation from both spectators in the stands and members of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), the owners of Lord's, in the pavilion.

Ecclestone, who in the course of this match has become England's leading wicket-taker across all international formats, later bowled Sneh Rana to complete a five-wicket haul as she finished with 5-118 in 33.3 overs.

That made her the second woman to achieve the feat in a Lord's Test after India seamer Kranti Gaud took a miserly 5-37 in 17 overs as England were dismissed for just 170 in their first innings.

Richa Ghosh, with an unbeaten 50 off 52 balls including eight fours, added to the woes of an increasingly ragged England, who started this match just a few days after their T20 World Cup final defeat by Australia at Lord's last Sunday.

This was also England's first day in the field since former captain Heather Knight had announced after Saturday's close that she would be joining longtime team-mate Tammy Beaumont in retiring from international cricket after this match.

Smriti Mandhana had been in superb touch Saturday as she backed up her first-innings 83 with another fluent half-century.

But Mandhana had added just one run to her overnight 69 not out when she was well low down the legside by diving wicket-keeper Amy Jones off Lauren Bell.

Jones, however, conceded 23 byes in the innings, mostly as a result of wayward bowling.

C.Fong--ThChM