Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj had a dream day as Harmanpreet Kaur’s India dominated South Africa on Day 1 of the Only Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The duo made the Proteas bowlers work hard after India opted to bat first on an excellent surface to bat on at the Chepauk. The Women in Blue made a sedate start and saw off the new ball in the first 10 overs before stepping on the gas.
In the second session of the day’s play, Shafali got to her hundred off 113 balls. On the very next ball, it was Mandhana, who reached the 3-figure score off 122 balls. Mandhana carried her stupendous form after winning the Player of the Series award in the ODIs. It eventually was right-arm spinner Delmi Tucker, who separated the duo after getting rid of Mandhana, who made 149 runs off 197 balls with the help of 27 for and 1 six.
Shafali, on the other hand, got to her hundred off 113 balls after which she brought up her double hundred off 194 deliveries. Shafali got out in the 75th over while trying to take a single. When Shafali got out, India were cruising along at 411 for the loss of 3 wickets in 74.1 overs.
2- Shafali Verma became the second Indian woman to score a Test hundred. Mithali Raj was the first to achieve the feat back in 2002 against England in Taunton.
205 – Shafali Verma registered the second-highest by an Indian woman in Test cricket. Mithali Raj’s 214 against England in Taunton back in 2002 remains the highest score.
113 - Shafali Verma broke the record for fastest hundred in Women's Tests off 113 balls. He broke the record of Janette Brittin, who held the record off 137 balls back in 1984.
194 - Shafali Verma hit the fastest double hundred in Women's Tests. She broke the record of Australia's Annabel Sutherland, who held the record of 248 balls earlier this year.
20 years 152 days – Shafali Verma became the youngest Indian to score 500 runs in Tests. She went past Sandhya Agarwal, who achieved the feat at the age of 21 years and 308 days.
20 years 152 days – Shafali Verma became the second youngest Indian to score a hundred in Women’s Tests. Mithali Raj holds the record at 19 years and 254 days.
150 – Shafali Verma became only the third Indian opener in Women’s Tests to get a 150 plus score. Thirush Kamini’s 192 against South Africa in 2014 and Sandhya Agarwal’s 190 against England in 1986 are the other instances.
8 – Shafali Verma now holds the record for most sixes in a Women’s Test innings. Alyssa Healy, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Shafali herself (2 times), Sophie Dunkley and Annabel Sutherland earlier held the record with 2 sixes each.
292 – Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma made the record for the highest opening partnership in Women’s Test history with their 292-run stand. The record was earlier held by the Pakistani pair of Kiran Baluch and Sajjida Shah that they set back in 2004 against West Indies.
292 – Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma recorded the second-highest partnership in Women’s Test history. Australia’s Denise Audrey Annetts and Lindsay Anne Reeler hold the record with their 309-run partnership back in 1987 against England.
292 – Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma smashed the record for the highest partnership for India in Women’s Tests. The pair of Thirush Kamini and Punam Raut held the record earlier with a stand of 275 against South Africa in Mysore.
500 – Smriti Mandhana became only the second Indian batter to score over 500 runs across all 3 formats in Women’s Internationals after the legendary Mithali Raj.
2- Smriti Mandhana became only the third Indian woman to score multiple Test hundreds. The others are Sandhya Agarwal (4) and Hemalatha Kala (2).
