The Indian women’s cricket team made history by scoring a record total of 603/6 against the South African women’s team in the one-off Test match at the M Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
On Day 2, India continued their dominant batting performance from the previous day, ultimately surpassing Australia’s record for the highest team total in a Test match. Australia had held the record since February 2024 when they scored 575/9d against South Africa. India’s remarkable innings saw them eclipse Australia’s mark, with South Africa once again the opponents on the receiving end.
India’s dominant performance throughout the innings resulted in a flurry of records. Opting to bat first, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana set the tone with their respective centuries, putting the Proteas on the back foot as runs flowed smoothly for India. The duo’s record-breaking 292-run partnership, the highest-ever by an opening pair in women’s Tests, was highlighted by Mandhana’s 149 and Shafali’s splendid double century.
Shafali Verma scored 205 runs off just 194 balls, the fastest ever in a Women’s Test match.
She fell short of surpassing Mithali Raj’s record for the highest individual score by an Indian woman in Test cricket, as she was run out due to a mix-up.After Shafali’s dismissal, the scoreboard was constantly ticking and India posted a mammoth 525 runs in a single day’s play – the highest team total in a Women’s Test. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (69) and Jemimah Rodrigues (55) also scored a half-centuies, while Richa Ghosh (86) missed out on a century.
