​On Monday afternoon, India cricketer Sneh Rana delivered the ball at London’s iconic Lord’s cricket stadium, completing a journey for the Indian women’s cricket team that has been half-a-century in the making.The bandana-wearing off-spinner, who hails from a small town in northern India, floated one outside the off stump. England’s Sophie Ecclestone, having just completed a flamboyant half-century, pressed forward, only for the ball to dip, grip and sneak between bat and pad into the stumps.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRana blew a kiss skywards as her teammates rushed towards her in jubilation. England were all out for 186 on the fourth and final day, giving India a 270-run victory – the biggest by a visiting team against England in women’s Tests and the fourth largest in the format’s history.The celebrations, however, were as much about the past as the present. Throughout the match, India’s players repeatedly paid tribute to the pioneers who had laid the foundations of women’s cricket in the country, insisting that this moment belonged to them too.Fifty years after India played their first officially recognised women’s international series, Harmanpreet Kaur’s side had become the first Indian women’s team to win a Test at Lord’s.The victory came 40 years after India’s maiden women’s Test tour of England in 1986 and extended their unbeaten Test record in the country to 10 matches – three wins and seven draws.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement”Playing at Lord’s is always special,” Harmanpreet, now India’s most successful Test captain with four victories compared to her predecessor Mithali Raj’s three, told the host broadcaster after the match.”I really want to thank the people who thought about bringing one Test match here. 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,” she added.India bowler Sayali Satghare celebrates the wicket of England batter Alice Capsey [Getty Images]The 37-year-old was playing only the eighth Test of her 17-year-long international career, a reminder of the few opportunities her generation has had in the longest format.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAt the pre-match press conference, she had reflected on what it meant to still be present for the occasion: “Maybe it’s late but not too late. Still I’m playing and still getting this opportunity to be part of this historic day.”History was made in other ways too. The first women to earn places on Lord’s famed Honours Boards were Indians.On Saturday, 22-year-old seam bowler Kranti Gaud became the first woman on the bowling board after taking five for 37 in England’s first innings. Gaud comes from Ghuwara, a small town in central India, and her mother once pawned her jewellery to buy one of her first cricket kits.A day later, Yastika Bhatia, the left-handed batter from Vadodara, another small town in western India, followed. Her confident 113, the firs