India’s Women Set Multiple Records in Remarkable Test Match Against South Africa

CNN —

The Test match between India’s women and South Africa’s women was so extraordinary that it required several new entries in cricket’s record books by the time India declared on the second day.

India declared their innings at 603 for six in Chennai, setting the highest total ever in women’s Test cricket and becoming the first team to surpass 600 runs in first-class cricket, according to ESPN’s cricinfo.

On the first day, India scored 525 for 4, the most runs ever scored by any team, men or women, in a single day of Test cricket. It was also the first time a team had scored over 500 runs on the opening day in women’s Test cricket.

Shafali Verma was the star of the match, scoring 205 runs for the fastest double century in women’s Test history. She also became the first woman to score more than 200 runs in a single day of a Test match and, at 20 years and 152 days old, the second-youngest woman to achieve a Test double-century.

Her partnership of 292 runs with Smriti Mandhana is now the highest opening stand in women’s Test cricket. Another significant partnership was between Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh, who added 143 runs, setting the record for the highest fifth-wicket stand in women’s Tests.

“Today, the ball was coming on well, and my recent scores in the last three ODIs motivated me to think just one thing: I shouldn’t get out and should play through the day,” Shafali said, according to cricinfo.

“So, the plan was to rely on my strengths, take my time, and find a way to stay at the wicket.”

In response, South Africa was still trailing India’s massive total after scoring 266 runs in their first innings and reaching 232/2 in their second innings on day three, with the match still ongoing.