England return to the crease at Lord’s with a sizeable task and a sense of occasion, resuming on 21 for one in the first women’s Test ever staged at the ground and trailing India by 264 runs.

Nat Sciver-Brunt’s side endured a mixed opening day. After choosing to bowl, they allowed India to race to 190 for three before clawing their way back to dismiss the tourists for 285. Smriti Mandhana’s elegant 83 underpinned India’s total, with captain Harmanpreet Kaur and all-rounder Deepti Sharma adding composed half-centuries to give their attack a strong platform.

The day, however, belonged to Sophie Ecclestone. The left-arm spinner became England’s leading wicket-taker across all formats when she trapped Sayali Satghare lbw, overtaking Katherine Sciver-Brunt’s mark. Ecclestone finished with three for 68, later removing Deepti Sharma and Kranti Gaud, and moved to 338 international wickets, behind only India’s Deepti and the retired Jhulan Goswami on the global list.

There was also a memorable introduction for off-spinner Mady Villiers. On Test debut, she struck twice, including a classic off-spinner’s dismissal to bowl Harmanpreet through the gate, exploiting the Lord’s slope and hinting at the surface’s growing wear.

Yet England’s reply began shakily. Tammy Beaumont, expected to retire from international cricket after this match, managed only two before falling lbw to Gaud. It was a subdued end to what may prove her final Test innings, leaving Heather Knight and Maia Bouchier to rebuild under late-evening sunshine.

Analysts suggested India edged the opening exchanges. England’s seamers were wayward early on, allowing quick scoring before the pitch slowed and movement became more variable. With signs of uneven bounce already apparent, India’s 285 looks increasingly competitive.

For the hosts, the stakes are layered. They have not beaten India in a women’s Test for more than a generation and are back at Lord’s seeking redemption after defeat at the same venue in the T20 World Cup final. Fast bowler Issy Wong framed the match as a starting point rather than a one-off, stressing the squad’s responsibility to ensure women’s Tests at Lord’s become a regular feature.

As day two begins, England need runs, resilience and a statement performance to match the historic setting and keep alive their hopes of a rare Test victory over India.