India captain Harmanpreet Kaur credited her team’s resilience, the support staff and collective effort after India completed a historic 270-run victory over England in the first-ever Women’s Test at Lord’s on Monday.India wrapped up the match on the fourth morning after dismissing England for 186 while defending a daunting target of 457, sealing one of their most memorable victories in women’s Test cricket.Asked if she could have scripted a better ending, Harmanpreet smiled and said, “Definitely not. God is a better writer. He’s written it very well.”The skipper reserved special praise for openers Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, whose partnership laid the platform for India’s commanding performance.“Yes, definitely. I think our openers have been our biggest strength. The way they batted in the first half, I think that was something very special to watch. They’re the ones who always take the responsibility and take all the pressure out from us. In this Test match also, the way they batted was outstanding to watch.”India’s victory was particularly significant given the limited number of Tests the team gets to play. Harmanpreet said the support staff played a major role in preparing the players for the demands of the longest format.“I think it’s the effort the entire team is putting in, and especially our support staff. Many of them have played a lot of Test cricket. They know how Test cricket moves, and they’re the ones giving us feedback each and every moment. Because of them we were able to perform. I really want to thank Amol sir and the entire team for the way they supported us during this Test match and the previous one we played.”The win came after India endured a disappointing Women’s T20 World Cup campaign, but Harmanpreet said the group stayed united during the difficult phase.“I think the last couple of series have not been in our favour. But I know that’s the time when things can go here and there. The way our support staff kept us together, that is something to watch. Again, I want to give credit to Amol sir and the entire support staff. They kept us together. I know the summer in England didn’t go the way we wanted, but we came back strongly in the Test match. I’m really happy that we’re taking some good memories back home now.“Harmanpreet also praised Yastika Bhatia, whose century proved crucial in India’s dominant display.“She’s a great batter. We had a very strong feeling about her, and that’s why we put her in the XI. I’m really happy with the way she batted.”She also highlighted India’s fielding standards, singling out Richa Ghosh while appreciating the efforts of the entire squad and the fielding coach.“We always have one player who gets our fielding award. The way our entire team fielded in this Test match was something very special to watch because fielding is an area we’ve worked very hard on as a group. When you see the results, you feel really happy. Our fielding coach has been working so hard for so many years now, so I’m really happy with the way the entire team fielded, especially Richa’s performance. Everybody came together and did the job for the team.“Looking ahead, Harmanpreet hoped the success at the Home of Cricket would encourage more women’s Tests to be played at iconic venues.“Playing at Lord’s is always special. I really want to thank the people who thought about bringing one Test match here, and hopefully in future we’ll get many more. These kinds of matches bring a lot of happiness and excitement. Hopefully we’ll keep getting more Test matches and keep performing the way we are doing.”
