A sublime double century from Shafali Verma powered India women to a massive 525/4 at the close of play on day one of the one-off test against the Proteas at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday afternoon.
It was a difficult day in the field for the visitors, who had to contend with a huge 292 run opening stand, between Verma and centurion Smriti Mandhana, while they only managed to make the breakthrough shortly before the tea break.
Shafali Verma, the second Indian to score a double hundred in women's Tests 🌟 #INDvSA pic.twitter.com/nTgcAo3GN2
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) June 28, 2024
The final session of the day saw India continue to pile on the runs, but the Proteas did manage to remove Verma after a brilliant innings of 205 off 197 balls, featuring 23 fours and eight sixes.
It was in the end an anticlimactic end to Verma’s innings after a big mix up between her and Jemimah Rodrigues (55), who knocked the ball into the offside and set off for a quick single, with Verma pausing before getting going and she was then caught short of her ground and run out.
At that stage India were on 411/3, but the wicket did little to slow them down as Rodrigues continued on reaching her half century, before she fell soon after, trying to slog Delmi Tucker, only to get a top edge and be caught by Nadine de Klerk, with the score 450/4.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur (42no) and Richa Gosch (43no) then took their side to the close with a cracking unbeaten 75 run partnership off just 66 balls to end the day in a powerful position and they will look to kick on in the morning session on day two.
Earlier in the day the Proteas finally made the breakthrough in the post lunch session, before India reached tea on 334/2.
🤯 Fastest double-hundred in women's Tests by Shafali Verma!
— ICC (@ICC) June 28, 2024
🔥 Third 💯 in four matches for Smriti Mandhana.
💥 292 - Record-highest opening stand in women's Tests.
India openers gave an incredible start in Chennai against South Africa!#INDvSA | 🔗: https://t.co/WGsjkNw98R pic.twitter.com/814ZYKAOGp
Having resumed after lunch on 130/0, with Verma and Mandhana both having reached half centuries, the two continued their brilliant partnership, taking their side past the 200 and 250 run marks, while both brought up their centuries along the way.
Then just a run short of her 150, Mandhana tried to drive at a ball from Proteas spinner Tucker that spun away, getting a big edge to debutant Annerie Dercksen at first slip, who took the catch to make the massive breakthrough and see her depart foe a superb 149 off 161 balls (27x4, 1x6).
Satheesh Shuba (15) was the new batter and in the over before tea she flashed at a ball from De Klerk and got an under edge, with keeper Sinalo Jafta taking a sharp catch behind the stumps to send her on her way as they slipped to 325/2.
Despite having lost two batters Verma showed her dominance by hammering a big six off Tucker off the penultimate ball before tea.
At the start of play India won the toss and chose to bat first, with them enjoying a chanceless first session, but they were initially kept in check by some tight bowling from the Proteas, as they scored 31 runs in the first 12 overs.
However the wheels then came off spectacularly as the openers ramped up the pressure, aided by some decidedly average bowling, as they plundered 99 runs off the next 16 overs, cruising past the 50 run mark in the 14th over, while Mandhana brought up the hundred in style with a boundary in the 25th, as they reached lunch in a dominant position.
INDIA WOMEN: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Shuba Satheesh, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Jemima Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Sneh Rana, Ranuka Singh Thakur, Rajeshwari Gayakwad
PROTEAS WOMEN: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Delmi Tucker, Nadine de Klerk, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Annerie Dercksen, Tumi Sekhukhune, Masabata Klaas Nonkululeko Mlaba