Kranti Gaud Becomes Youngest Indian Woman Pacer To Attain Historic Test Milestone

Kranti Gaud creates record for India [Source: X]

As the India Women's team dominates the hosts, England Women, at the iconic Lord’s stadium for the Only Test match, Kranti Gaud, the 22-year-old pacer, has done everything right to create a record that might take years to topple.

The Women’s Test debutant for Team India stunned England with a breathtaking spell which wrapped the team up for just 170 runs in their first innings. Bowling 17 overs in the first innings, Gaud ran down the top and lower middle order of England to achieve a massive feat.

Kranti Gaud becomes the youngest Indian woman pacer to take a Test fifer

At 22 years and 334 days old, Kranti has become the youngest Indian woman pacer to grab a fifer in a Test match. Amongst pacers across the world, only Isa Guha of England was the youngest to bag a fifer back in 2008 against Australia Women.

Amongst Indian legends, only retired veteran Jhulan Goswami trails Gaud’s unprecedented record. Goswami bagged a fifer against England Women in Test cricket back in 2005, when she was aged 23 years.

The record of the fifer has also been named on the Lord's Honours Board, where only the deserving and only some of the very best of the game have been able to etch.

How did Gaud sever the England batting lineup?

Kranti ran riot with the ball to dismantle the England batting lineup after India Women posted a solid 285 runs on the board. With valuable contributions from Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, India had set up a strong total before their bowlers took over. 

England got off to a poor start, with Tammy Beaumont dismissed by Gaud in the fourth over. Maia Bouchier followed in the 14th over, becoming Kranti's second wicket of the innings. 

Nat Sciver-Brunt, Alice Capsey, and Lauren Bell were also dismissed by Kranthi as she piled more misery on the hosts. England were eventually bundled out for 170 runs, handing India a 115-run victory. 

Kranti finished with outstanding figures of 5/37, including seven maidens, while bowling at a remarkable economy rate of just 2.18.

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How can India Women benefit from the emerging sensation?

Kranti Gaud's sensational performance against England could mark the beginning of a new era for India's pace attack. 

For years, Renuka Singh has led the fast-bowling department almost single-handedly, with India searching for a dependable partner who can consistently strike with the new ball and maintain pressure throughout the innings. 

Gaud's impressive five-wicket haul at Lord's suggests she has the potential to become India's next pace leader.

Gaud’s numbers back her strength

At just 22 years of age, Gaud has already shown her ability to perform on the biggest stage. Her international numbers are encouraging as well, with 25 wickets in 17 WODIs, including a career-best 6/52, at an average of 29.76. 

She has also represented India in 14 WT20Is and gained valuable experience in the Women's Premier League, exposing her to high-pressure situations against some of the world's best batters.

With experienced bowlers like Renuka Singh guiding the attack and a quality spin unit featuring Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, and Shree Charani, Gaud can develop into India's strike pacer across formats. 

Her ability to extract movement with the new ball, bowl disciplined spells, and dismiss top-order batters gives India another genuine wicket-taking option in overseas conditions.

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