Chennai
Indian Women’s Cricket team created a flurry of records as they dominated throughout their innings against South Africa in the one-off Test match at the M Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Opting to bat first, openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana set the tone with impressive centuries.
Their partnership of 292 runs is now the highest-ever by an opening pair in women’s Tests, putting the Proteas on the back foot early on.
Mandhana departed after scoring 149 runs, while Shafali continued her onslaught. She eventually scoring a scintillating double century. She reached the 200-run mark from just 194 balls, setting a new record for the fastest double hundred in Women’s Test cricket history. However, she missed out on surpassing Mithali Raj’s highest score for India in Women’s Tests when she was run out due to a mix-up.
India’s momentum did not falter after Shafali’s dismissal, with Jemimah Rodrigues contributing a half-century, and Harmanpreet Kaur (69) and Richa Ghosh (86) ensuring the scoreboard kept ticking.
Their efforts helped India amass a staggering 525 runs in a single day’s play, the highest by any team in Women’s Test cricket. With such a commanding performance, India declared their innings at 603/6. India surpassed Australia’s previous record of 575/9d against South Africa earlier in 2024.
This record-shattering performance by India underscores their dominance and sets a new benchmark in women’s cricket. As the match progresses, India’s formidable batting display will be remembered as a milestone in the history of the sport, highlighting their prowess on the international stage.
