Just five days after the T20 World Cup final, the Lord's Cricket Ground will bear witness to a historic first when England and India contest the first ever women's Test at the venue. The two countries share a history of 16 matches in the format dating back to 1986, with nine of those played on English shores. India boast a spotless record in those nine games having not lost once, while winning two in Taunton (2006) and Wormsley (2014).

Among those to experience the euphoria of winning a Test in England is Niranjana Nagarajan, the former pace-bowling all-rounder who orchestrated India's famous victory at Wormsley. One of eight Test debutants in the Indian XI, her first innings spell of 4/19 broke the back of the England lineup as they were bowled out for 92, before her 27-run vigil (the highest score of the innings) bailed India out of strife towards a slender, but crucial 22-run lead in a rain-affected contest that the visitors sealed by eight wickets.

In an exclusive interview with Cricketlineguruji ahead of the Lord's Test, Niranjana took a trip down memory lane, throwing light on her experience of playing a Test in England, the evolution of women's cricket, the significance of the first ever women's Test at Lord's and the relevance of the format itself for an aspiring female cricketer.

How fondly do you recall your exploits in the Wormsley Test of 2014? It remains one of Indian cricket's most famous wins.

If I look back at my international career, I probably would rate that as the No. 1 match which is close to my heart. Because when I started playing cricket at around 12-13 years of age, I really did not know that I would end up playing for the country. Gradually when I started understanding the game more and took cricket professionally, then playing for the country and wearing the white jersey was the ultimate goal.

When we grew up, Test cricket was not a big part of our schedule. So that [Test] was definitely an opportunity for all of us. Eight out of the 11 made their debut in that game. It was my first Test and we had a preparation game against Ireland that actually gave an idea of how the ball would behave and all that. But you know, when I opened the bowling with Jhulan [Goswami] and when Mithali [Raj] threw the ball to me, all those scenes are right in front of my eyes. I very fondly remember that game because I was fortunate enough to wear the white Test jersey for India. So that would be the number one fond memory of my international career.

What was the buildup towards that game like considering it was a one-off Test? And what was the feeling within the group of playing a Test in England?

Actually only three of them - Mithali, Jhulan and Karuna Jain - had played a Test before that. So we were all blank. We didn't have an idea of how to approach a Test game. In the camp, we were just asked to change the mindset. We didn't even know that we had skills to play Test cricket. We were actually put into a real Test at that time. So the camp was set up in Bengaluru and that was the first intense camp we had for preparation.

There are a few grounds at Alur in Bengaluru where the climate is close to English conditions. It can't match up but it was overcast. We played a few multi-day games and we were given long sessions. The batters were leaving a lot of balls. The temperaments, the mindset (were tested) and the bowlers were given long spells. We played against the boys who grinded it out throughout the day. They kept defending and we had to beat them. It was a very nice, short camp for probably a week and then we were off to England, where we didn't have a lot of time to prepare - just 2-3 days of practice.

We had a practice match against Ireland where we were all given an opportunity to feel how it feels out there in the middle. Of course, Jhulan and Mithali were guiding and mentoring all of us. But it was a truly one-of-a-kind experience. Bowling with the Dukes ball for the first time, the effort behind that ball was very intense and I understood that the ball will do the rest if you actually land it in the right spot.

Had you ever experienced bowling with the Dukes ball before that game? How much practice did you have with it ahead of the Test?

We had camps with the SG Test ball which is similar to the Dukes ball. But when we went there and we played the practice game, that was the time we came to know that we are going to actually play with the Dukes ball. It had a lot more for the bowlers. The grip was so good. The finish of the leather, the finish of the thread, everything was so fine. It was tailor-made for fast bowling.

That spell...that kind of day I had, was not a day that every fast bowler will have. When the ball left my hand, on a few occasions, I was able to hear that sound of the ball leaving the fingers. It was one of those days where I knew that I was there, being penetrative every single delivery. The run-up was smooth. The load-up was nice. And during the run-up itself, I could feel that, 'Okay, I am going to be there at the 8-metre mark hitting the length.' I was certain that I would do well. There were definitely nerves and butterflies in the tummy. But I think that was for the good and it made me do well.

How do you look back at the crowd turnout and media reception for the Test at Wormsley?

Quite a bit [of turnout]. When you are playing in any part of England, you will definitely have an Indian crowd. There was a separate place for a tent for the media. And then, when I finished my over and moved to fine leg, there were a whole lot of Indians who were showing so much love. There was an over where I picked up the captain's wicket, the legend Charlotte Edwards. When I went to field over there, I got a round of applause. One half of the ground was really filled with Indians.

They were like, 'come home for dinner, come home for lunch' and they gave us Indian food. Even when we played a one-day game at Lord's in 2012, there was no lack of Indian crowd. They show so much love. Towards the left-hand side of the Lord's balcony, the stand was packed with Indians. It was really nice and very warm, very welcoming.

You personally had a significant impact on the game with a four-fer and a crucial 27. Sixteen wickets fell on the first day and you were unbeaten at stumps. What was the emotion like when you went back to the hotel room?

I have always played for India as a bowling all-rounder. But the fact is, I truly love batting and enjoy batting every single time. Bowling is my duty, I work very hard for that. But batting is love, I do that with passion. The game was rain-interrupted. I got a wicket in the first over, then it was halted due to rain. You had to be a little mentally tough to have that momentum going, and be warmed up always. So, once they were 90-odd all-out, we thought we could just come and relax. But wickets were falling regularly.

Jhulan went in and then I went in. The time was around 5.10. So the discussion was like, 'Okay, we don't need anything for today, we'll just go through the time.' And we thought play was going to end at 5.30. I asked the umpire about the time left and he said there was 1 hour and 15 minutes left. We were shocked, literally, because they had extended the time because of the rain interruptions. But somehow we managed. We just kept leaving the ball. And as I kept seeing the ball, I got a little more confident and then I started middling the ball. I still remember the straight drive off Kate Cross to the longer fence. After the last ball of the day, I just left. And the 'keeper, Sarah Taylor, said, 'Mate you managed to finish play today'. They kept coming at us, you know. When some of the players didn't wear helmets too, they were coming at us and said, 'You better wear your helmet.' They were sledging us. But because I enjoyed and loved batting, I was able to enjoy all these things.

I was excited because the next day I again had to come out and bat. It was a very satisfying day. I had calls from the selectors, my parents, my friends, everybody wishing well for me. So, it was one amazing day to remember. I feel really grateful and blessed for that day.

We were also quite superstitious. In the second innings, when we were chasing down the target, I was watching the match through a small window in the pavilion. So, I was very particular that no one was going to move because the wickets were not falling. I also didn't move from that place and Mithali was reading a book. And when Mithali went into bat, I said, 'Nobody is going to move now. Everybody should sit at their own places.' And I did not move from that window till the match got over. And you know, we won. I personally feel as far as cricket is concerned, some superstitions worked for me. It might be a little weird, but I am like that.

India have played just one Test in England since then. And Lord's braces for its first ever Women's Test. How significant do you reckon this is for women's cricket?

I would never say that it's going to be just another match. Whenever the Indian women's team is taking the field with whites, I think it's quite significant. Playing a Test match is always going to be the ultimate aim for any cricketer. And then to play on such a platform where women's cricket is recognised throughout the world - Indian cricket is known globally now. As much as people know a Virat [Kohli] or a [MS] Dhoni, they now know a Smriti [Mandhana], a Harman [Harmanpreet Kaur] and a Jemimah [Rodrigues]. It is important that we play a lot of Test cricket. And it's good for the quality of cricket back in India. To keep two-day games or three-day games, to improve the quality of Test cricket, it is a motivation for the domestic players to start playing multi-day games.

I think the board is also thinking [along those lines]. They are having three-day games, multi-day games at the zonal level now. So, definitely it is a significant change. And at the global level, India should definitely play a lot more Test matches regularly. A Test game can never be just another game for me. It is a significant thing - especially when the opportunity for an Indian player to play a Test has been very rare. With the evolution of women cricketers and how the game has evolved - India has won the World Cup - everything is falling in place. I think this is the right time for us to play as much Test cricket as possible. We have put ODI cricket on the globe now. We are icons of the ODI World Cup now. I think this is the right time for us to get into the Test scenario. If this team can put a roadmap for the ODI World Cup, I think this team can also put a roadmap for Indian Test cricket to go higher up in the ladder for sure.

There is a paucity of Test cricket right now in the women's game around the world, with the odd one-off Test. Considering the financial angle to go with it, how do you feel a young girl would harbour the ambition of playing Test cricket today?

How do the men understand the value of Test cricket? It is because they play division cricket, they play Ranji Trophy, multi-day games. That is how the importance of Test cricket should be put into the minds of the young girls who are taking up the sport. Yes, it is a T20 generation. It is a fancy shot-making generation. But as we play more Test games, that is the only way. If you are doing something, you get better only by doing that. So, if the importance of Test cricket is stressed and if there is going to be a separate Test squad, if you are specialised for this particular material, if you are going to groom the girls in that particular way. Definitely, not every girl can clear the boundary or not every girl can be a T20 cricketer. Even in the high performance camps, as coaches we segregate the abilities and the potential.

So the players who are Test cricket material will definitely understand the value of playing Test cricket. And that will happen only if there are more Test opportunities given in the current set of schemes. She will understand the value of playing Tests only by playing more multi-day games at the domestic level. That is how it should be improved and improvised. If you take an under-19 player now, he will definitely say, 'I want to play Test cricket for India'. He will not say he wants to play in the IPL. Why? Because the history of men's cricket has been such. Ranji Trophy is the base for them, right? So the more multi-day games we give in domestic cricket, the girls will definitely understand the fact that Test cricket is the ultimate form of cricket because it tests your patience, your mental attitude, your ability to grind and leave the ball, at all levels.

But do you reckon there is a gap that needs to be bridged from a financial or marketing standpoint? The zonal red ball tournament was revived by the BCCI in 2024, but shouldn't there have been more Tests by now?

See, there was a time when there was no WPL. Now it is one of the biggest global sporting leagues in the world. From 2024, the multi-day tournament is happening at the domestic level so definitely, the board will do it. And I don't think there is a disparity at the financial level because both the teams, men and women, are paid equally now (match fees). And the fee structure of the women cricketers at the domestic level has been increased. So, the only thing that the board will be looking to do is probably to increase the number of multi-day games.

One more thing is, everyone is seeing women's cricket now. Everybody likes if there are boundaries and sixes. Nobody is going to really want the girls to come out and defend. So, there will be a time where Test cricket will definitely be considered as a priority by the board. The day is not far. Just as they brought WPL into the scene, I think the board will definitely take its measures to bring the Test game into the spotlight. I think it's around the corner. Otherwise why will they stay after the World Cup to play a Test game? Because the importance is there. It's just the frequency, which will be taken care of.

A Test at Lord's. There was a time when the MCC was a strictly male-only club. For the spiritual 'home of cricket' to host a women's Test now, how big is this?

Oh, if you ask me, I miss being a part of the team now actually (laughs) because it's happening at Lord's. I have had the experience of playing at Lord's. I think one of the best things that can happen to a cricketer is to take the field at Lord's. It feels like you are standing right inside a paradise, in heaven. Everything about Lord's is history - it's ancient, it's antique, it's unique. It's classic. It is a golden opportunity for the girls to go and establish their skills at that platform. The magnitude of the game is going to be high because England have just finished the T20 World Cup and India did not qualify. It's just the ability of the team to change their skill sets from a demolishing mode to a soft mode, which is also a tougher mode.

It's going to be very interesting and I somehow feel at the same time it's going to be a very competitive match. I think England will be the favourites but India has all the capacity and ability to do well because their batting is really good. We have specialised batters. The bowling department is also good and the management is doing well. In the context of how the Test future will be for India, I think the result of the game and how the girls play this game is going to be very important.

Casting your mind back to Wormsley 2014 to see the progress of the women's game today, how happy are you? Or do you think there is more to be done?

I am extremely happy about how women's cricket has evolved, especially with how the girls are placed. For a long time nobody knew women cricketers. I think the emergence of WPL has given the map for them at the global level and also the domestic level. The crowds recognize them but the sponsors, they've got collaborations coming in, they've got a name for themselves. When I see the likes of Smriti or Deepti [Sharma], they've all played with me, I'm really happy. Smriti has created an aura around herself. She is the icon now. They're extremely hardworking and that's why they've gotten here. They do not take things for granted. I played the game until 2024. The beauty of it is I was a part of the previous era and I was a part of this era also. So I know what it takes to be in this era and what it took me to grind it out when we had nothing.The change is for the good - when I was playing, on a scale of 0 to 10, it was around six. Now it is around 8.5 or 9. From here there is no looking back.

A lot of girls are now entering the academies saying, 'I want to be like Smriti, I want to play like Jemimah or Harman.' That is really good. They come to me, they say, 'I want to bowl fast, please teach me fast bowling.' It makes me so happy that I'm able to give it back to them. If it is going to help them grow as cricketers in this era, it's something I'm really grateful for. The evolution is too good. Women's cricket in India has reached the pinnacle. But I think from there, it has to go higher. When India won the World Cup, I was in tears. It's not easy winning a World Cup, whatever is said and done. The victory felt personal. I knew most of the players there. I missed being at the venue but I had a few chats with the girls, I was very happy for them. That World Cup victory shifted everybody's attention from other sports to women's cricket. I'm very very proud of the girls and I wish them nothing but the best.