Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues in action© PTI
India on Saturday recorded the highest team total in women’s Test cricket on day two of the one-off Test against South Africa, surpassing the previous best of 575/9 set by Australia. Australia had posted the total in Perth this February but India achieved the new record when Richa Ghosh hammered a four in the opening ball of the 109th over bowled by Annerie Dercksen. Much of the credit for the feat goes to Indian openers — Shafali Verma (205) and Smriti Mandhana (149) — who shared an iconic stand of 292 — the highest opening partnership in women’s cricket.
It has also been well aided by Jemimah Rodrigues (55) along with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa, who are currently unbeaten past their respective half-centuries.
On Day 1, India had finished on 525 for four, having posted the highest-ever single-day total in a Test match, breaking the previous record held by Sri Lankan men’s team — 509 for nine — against Bangladesh in Colombo in 2002.
Since women’s test cricket began in 1934, this is the first instance that a team has touched the figures of 575 in an innings.
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