Shefali Verma-Smriti Mandhana register highest opening partnership in Tests

During the first day of the only Test between India and South Africa women at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday, openers Shefali Verma and Smriti Mandhana recorded the highest opening partnership in women’s Test cricket.

Both batters built a record 292-run partnership in 312 balls before Mandhana was sent back to the pavilion after playing a marvellous innings of 149 runs in 161 balls which was laced by 27 fours and a six in her innings.

With this 292-run partnership, both batters registered the highest opening partnership in the longest format of the game and broke the previous record, which was held by Pakistan’s duo of Sajjida Shah and Kiran Baluch against West Indies, of 241 runs made in Karachi in 2004.

Shefali played a magnificent innings of 205 runs off 197 balls at a strike rate of 104.06. The right-hand batter slammed a total of 23 fours and eight sixes. She was dismissed in the 75th over through a run-out.

With this inning, Shefali became the second Indian to score a double hundred in the longest format of the game after former skipper Mithali Raj who played a knock off 214 runs in 407 balls gainst England at Taunton 22 years back.

The opener fell short by just 38 runs to register the highest individual Test score in Women’s Cricket. It is still held by Kiran Baluch who scored 242 against West Indies in 2004.

Recapping the first day, Women in Blue skipper Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bat first.

Batting first, Team India scored 525 runs at a loss of four wickets in 98 overs. Other than Shefali and Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues (55 runs in 94 balls, 8 fours), Harmanpreet Kaur (42* runs from 76 balls, 2 fours) and Richa Ghosh (43* runs off 33 balls, 9 fours) played valuable knocks.

For the visitors, the pick of the bowlers was right-arm off-spinner Delmi Tucker, who snapped two wickets in her spell of 26 overs where she conceded 141 runs. One wicket was bagged by Nadine de Klerk in her spell of 10 overs in which she conceded 62 runs. (ANI)