The 22-year-old pacer returned figures of 5/37 to register the first five-wicket haul by a woman in a Test match at Lord's, earning a place on the iconic honours board. Her spell helped India secure a valuable first-innings lead of 115 runs after posting 285 in their opening innings.

Resuming their innings after the opening day's play, England struggled to build partnerships against a disciplined Indian bowling attack. Kranti struck at regular intervals, removing key batters and ensuring the home side never recovered from the early setbacks.

England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt offered resistance with 44, while wicketkeeper Amy Jones scored a fighting half-century with 52. However, the rest of the batting order failed to convert starts into substantial contributions as India maintained pressure throughout the innings.

Kranti's performance marked another milestone in what has been a rapid rise for the Madhya Pradesh-born pacer. Playing only her second Test, she displayed remarkable control with the new ball before returning to clean up the lower order. Her achievement also highlighted the growing depth of India's pace attack in women's cricket.

After taking a healthy first-innings advantage, India's batters extended their dominance during the final session. Openers provided a steady platform before Smriti Mandhana once again anchored the innings with an unbeaten knock. By stumps, India had reached 154 for one in their second innings, stretching the overall lead to 269 runs and leaving England facing an uphill task heading into Day Three.

Mandhana, who had scored 83 in the first innings, continued her impressive form with another composed innings, while Yastika Bhatia remained unbeaten alongside her at the close of play. England's bowlers found little assistance as the pitch gradually became more favourable for batting before signs of deterioration expected later in the match.

The contest is also significant because it is the first-ever women's Test to be staged at Lord's. A record crowd attended the second day's play, reflecting growing interest in women's red-ball cricket. The historic occasion gained further significance with Kranti becoming the first woman to earn a place on the Lord's bowling honours board through a five-wicket performance.

India entered the Test looking to build on recent improvements in the longest format, while England were hoping to make home conditions count in a landmark fixture. Instead, the visitors have dictated proceedings for most of the match through disciplined bowling and consistent batting performances.

England will now require an exceptional effort over the remaining two days to force their way back into the contest. With the pitch expected to become increasingly challenging for batting, India's sizeable lead places them firmly in control.

For Kranti Gaud, meanwhile, the performance represents the biggest moment of her international career so far. Beyond the figures on the scorecard, her spell has added another memorable chapter to Indian women's cricket and underlined the emergence of a new fast-bowling talent on one of the sport's most prestigious stages.