That day is still fresh in memory. Because that innings is fresh in memory.The winter was setting in at Raipur. The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium, some 20 kms away from the city, looked more imposing than usual as it was virtually empty. There were hardly any spectators for the Senior Women’s T20 Challenger Trophy back in 2022.It was a pity that Yastika Bhatia’s unbeaten 99 for India-D against India-C was watched only by a few. It was a masterclass in T20 batting. She was technically correct, played proper cricketing shots, chose the right balls to hit, and struck at a rate of 162.The only thing she got wrong was counting the balls: otherwise, she would have completed her century. She may have missed the hundred by just one run, but those who watched that innings may not have forgotten it in a hurry. It remains one of the very best in the domestic game over the last few years. Yastika, it was obvious, would go far.She may have taken her time, but she has gone far. All the way to the Lord’s honours board, in fact. The 25-year-old became the first woman to reach there by scoring a Test century.The hundred consisted of all those elements which the Raipur innings had: technique, lovely shots, and ability to choose the right balls to hit. Of course, the occasion was bigger. It was a Test match, that too a historic one — the first-ever women’s Test at cricket’s more revered venue. The bowling was much stronger: the Laurens — Bell and Filer — with their seam speciality, another quick in Issy Wong and spinners in Sophie Ecclestone and Mady Villiers.Crucial performanceYastika’s 113 helped India declare its second innings with the bowlers assured of four sessions in their bid to bundle England out. They needed only two and Indian women’s cricket recorded one of its greatest triumphs of all time — a Test win at Lord’s by 270 runs.It was the greatest moment in Yastika’s professional life. “The best is yet to come,” she would say. But, this one will remain special for several reasons, and we are not just talking about the Lord’s honours board. This was her first-ever century for India. It came after a terrible ACL injury and the long, difficult rehabilitation process.Shortly after the Test, in which she also kept wickets, Yastika looked back at that tough period. She was honest and spoke at length. Her face and eyes told what she had gone through. “I started from scratch after the injury,” said the southpaw. “For the first two months after the surgery, I took total rest. From there, I had to come back. All the muscles in my left leg had been lost in those two months. So after that, I had to start afresh.”The rehabilitation stage began afterwards. “Each muscle you have to train for... the muscles around the knee,” she said. “And then slowly there would be progress. Not in one or two days, surely. It was very frustrating to miss out on big tournaments (including the ODI World Cup that India went on to win at home).”