Cricket history is being made at Lord’s on July 10, 2026. England Women face India Women in the first ever women’s Test match at the Home of Cricket. The four-day match runs until July 13 and starts at 11:00 AM local time. Both sides arrive at this landmark fixture looking to regroup after a difficult Women’s T20 World Cup. The stage could not be bigger.
Why This Match Is Historic
Lord’s Cricket Ground has been staging Test matches since 1884. In 142 years of its history as a Test venue, no women’s Test has ever been played there. That changes on July 10. This match comes directly in response to the 2023 Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket report, which called it truly appalling that the Home of Cricket had never hosted a women’s Test. Over 30,000 tickets have already been sold across all four days. The crowd atmosphere at Lord’s will be extraordinary.
The fixture also falls on the 50th anniversary of former England captain Rachael Heyhoe Flint leading an England Women’s side onto the Lord’s main ground for the very first time back in 1976. The timing is not a coincidence. This match carries layers of historical significance that stretch far beyond just a single cricket result.
Match Overview
| Date | July 10 to 13, 2026 |
| Venue | Lord’s Cricket Ground, London |
| Start Time | 11:00 AM local time |
| Format | Four-day Women’s Test |
| Follow-on | 150 runs |
Women’s Tests are played across four days, not five. A minimum of 100 overs must be bowled each day. The follow-on threshold is 150 runs rather than the 200 used in men’s cricket. There have been only two five-day women’s Tests in history. This format puts an immediate premium on batting discipline and bowling consistency across long sessions.
England’s Form and Recent Test History
England arrive here in mixed form. They went through the entire Women’s T20 World Cup group stage unbeaten and reached the Lord’s final. They then lost to Australia by seven wickets. That defeat still stings, and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side will want to channel that frustration into something positive on the red-ball stage.
Their Test record is a concern. England have won only one of their last ten Tests, a run stretching back to 2015. Their previous Test was a heavy defeat to Australia at the MCG in January 2025. They have not won a home Test since June 2023 at Trent Bridge. The rust factor is real and the England coaching staff know it.
England Squad
England have made bold selection calls for this match. Five players receive their maiden Test call-ups. Alice Capsey, known for her explosive T20 batting, gets her first red-ball opportunity. Wicketkeeper Eleanor Threlkeld, seamer Grace Potts, spin allrounder Mady Villiers, and 18-year-old left-arm spinner Tilly Corteen-Coleman are also uncapped in Tests.
Charlie Dean, England’s white-ball vice-captain, has been rested for workload management after the T20 World Cup. Lauren Filer and Issy Wong are both pushing hard for inclusion and could offer England genuine pace on a Lord’s surface expected to offer early movement.
England Test Squad: Nat Sciver-Brunt (captain), Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Alice Capsey, Lauren Filer, Heather Knight, Freya Kemp, Sophie Molineux, Grace Potts, Issy Wong, Mady Villiers, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, Eleanor Threlkeld, Danielle Gibson, Lauren Bell.
India’s Form and Recent Test History
India come to this match carrying the disappointment of their Women’s T20 World Cup group stage exit. They lost to Australia and South Africa and failed to reach the semi-finals. The red-ball format offers a clean slate and a completely different kind of challenge.
India’s Test form has actually been stronger than England’s despite playing infrequently. They beat South Africa by ten wickets in Chennai in 2024, their only Test that year. In March 2026, they lost to Australia by ten wickets in a pink-ball Test at the WACA, their first Test defeat since 2006. That two-decade unbeaten run in Tests shows just how much India prize their red-ball record.
India Squad
India have named a squad that mixes experience with fresh faces. Three uncapped Test players have been called up. Left-arm spinner N Shree Charani, who was brilliant at the Women’s T20 World Cup with career-best figures of 5 for 10 against Pakistan, gets her first Test opportunity.
Fast bowler Nandani Sharma and batter Harleen Deol are also uncapped in the longer format. Pratika Rawal, one of the heroes of India’s ODI World Cup title, was in the running but has been ruled out with a knee injury.
India Test Squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (captain), Smriti Mandhana (vice-captain), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Richa Ghosh, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Priya Punia, Sneh Rana, Sayali Satghare, Deepti Sharma, Renuka Singh, Kranti Gaud, Nandani Sharma, N Shree Charani.
Key Battles That Will Define the Match
Smriti Mandhana vs England’s Seamers
Mandhana is India’s finest batter across all formats. Her ability to play seam movement on English pitches will be the most important individual factor in India’s first innings. England’s pace options, particularly Lauren Bell and Grace Potts, will target her outside off stump early.
Nat Sciver-Brunt vs India’s Spin Attack
Sciver-Brunt is England’s most experienced and dangerous player with both bat and ball. India’s spin pair of Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana will be the primary challenge for England’s middle order when conditions suit turn. Sciver-Brunt’s ability to play spin intelligently could be the difference between a competitive total and a defensive one.
N Shree Charani’s Test Debut
Charani’s Test debut will be one of the most watched storylines of the match. She took five wickets against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup and has genuine match-winning ability with her left-arm spin. Lord’s may not offer as much turn as subcontinental surfaces, but her flight and variation could still trouble England batters on the fourth day.
Head to Head in Women’s Tests
England lead the all-time head-to-head record against India in Women’s Tests with nine wins to India’s three, with 13 draws from 25 Tests played between the two sides. India’s last Test win over England came at Wormsley in 2014.
England’s dominance in the format over the past decade is clear, though their recent run of results suggests that advantage is far less certain than the historical numbers imply.
The context of both sides’ T20 World Cup campaigns earlier this year, covered fully in our guide to the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 schedule and contenders, shows how unevenly matched these two sides have been in recent white-ball cricket, giving India genuine grounds for belief heading into the red-ball format.
Lord’s Pitch and Conditions
Lord’s in July typically offers seamers genuine assistance on the first morning. The famous slope from the Grandstand End to the Tavern End adds an extra dimension that takes time to read. Pitches here tend to flatten out after the first session and become more favourable for batting as the match progresses.
Whoever wins the toss is likely to bowl first. The first session on July 10 could be decisive in setting the tone for the entire four-day match.
Who Will Win the Historic Lord’s Test
England are the favourites on home soil. They have more red-ball experience in these conditions. Their top order carries batting quality and their bowling attack has pace and variety. But their recent Test record is genuinely poor and the rust of playing so few Tests in recent years is a real factor.
India have a strong batting lineup and an increasingly potent spin attack. If they survive the first session and establish a decent first innings total, they are fully capable of winning this match.
India have won more than England in recent red-ball exchanges and carry the confidence of their ODI World Cup triumph from 2025. Our earlier coverage of India Women vs Pakistan Women at the T20 World Cup showed exactly how dominant their bowling can be under pressure when conditions suit.
England win probability: 55 percent
India win probability: 30 percent
Draw probability: 15 percent
Conclusion
This is not just a cricket match. It is a landmark moment for women’s cricket at the most iconic ground in the world. England and India bring completely different stories to Lord’s on July 10. England want to end their woeful Test run. India want to make history at the Home of Cricket. The first morning session will tell us a great deal about where this match is heading. The rest of the next four days should tell us something about where women’s Test cricket is heading too.
