India Women rewrite history books of Test cricket with incredible first-day feat against South Africa

The Indian women team left South Africa reeling with an extraordinary show of batting on day one of solitary Test.

India Women rewrite history books of Test cricket with incredible first-day feat against South Africa

Two of India's finest batters on day one (Via X)

Record books were rewritten in Chennai as the Indian women outmuscled South Africa in what would turn out to be a historic outing for Smriti Mandhana and company. They registered the highest ever score on Day one of a Test match in women’s cricket and men’s cricket too as they piled up 525 runs at the end of first day’s play.

Shafali Verma powered to a sensational 205 while Smriti Mandhana continued with her dream run, clobbering 149 off just 161 balls. Much to South Africa’s woes, the incoming batters in the form of Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh hacked their way to propelling India to the mammoth score.

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The previous best in a day in women’s cricket was made by England and New Zealand combined back in 1935 where they scored 475 runs. The next best in the line was that of Australian Women and England Women, combining to tot up 449 at Canberra in 2022.

The Indian women were up next in the long list of records where they piled up 410/7 against England in Navi Mumbai on the first day. The highest runs scored in a day in Men’s cricket in Tests was that of 509 which came from Sri Lanka against Bangladesh.

How did India Women’s innings pan out on Day 1 of the South Africa Test?

Winning the toss, India opted to bat first and the duo of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma started off on a feisty note. The partnership piled up 292 runs after 52 overs when the Indian vice-captain fell to Delmari Tucker. Satheesh Shubha couldn’t add much but Jemimah Rodrigues kept the charge going.

Indian women
Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma. image courtesy: X

Despite the fall of Verma (205) and Rodrigues (55) in quick succession, India didn’t let the reins loose as Richa Ghosh (43) and Harmanpreet Kaur (42) looked in solid touch to help India gun significantly past the Proteas bowlers.

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