Smashing away: Shafali hammered a double hundred and Smriti a century that took India to a mammoth score at the end of the first day against an inexperienced South Africa side.
| Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B
Openers Shafali Verma (205, 197b, 23×4, 8×6) and Smriti Mandhana (149, 161b, 27×4, 1×6) hammered the South African bowling attack into submission as they powered India to a mammoth 525 for four on a record-breaking opening day of the one-off Test at the MAC Stadium here on Friday.
The duo stitched a world record 292-run stand for the first wicket and also set the highest partnership for India in Tests, while Shafali became the second Indian woman after Mithali Raj to score a double-century.
Opting to bat, the openers got off to a watchful start before Smriti broke the shackles, hitting pacer Nadine de Klerk for a flurry of boundaries through the off-side.
The Indian vice-captain played in her inimitable style in a knock filled with crisply timed cover-drives and elegant back-foot punches through the square. Shafali then signalled her intentions when she stepped down to left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba and lofted her over the ropes.
The visitors had a chance when Smirti’s short-arm jab off Annerie Dercksen fell a few centimetres in front of Marizanne Kapp at mid-wicket when the left-hander was on 33.
A better effort from the fielder could have given her side a breakthrough.
A slew of records
Shafali’s eight maximums are more than any other player’s recorded career tally
India’s nine sixes in the Test so far are the most in a match, beating the six in the India-England game in Bristol in 2021
Shafali has now scored the fastest hundred (113 balls) and double hundred (194) in women’s Tests. She is also the first woman to score 200 or more in a day in the longest format
Shafali (205) is the second Indian woman after Mithali Raj to score a double hundred in Tests. She is the second-youngest (20y 152d) after Mithali (19y 254d) to perform the feat
Shafali and Smriti’s 292-run opening stand is the highest in women’s Tests and India’s highest partnership ever. It is also the second-biggest association in women’s Tests
India’s total (525/4) is the most in a single day in Test history
However, the floodgates opened in the second session as the openers raced each other to their three-figure mark and helped the hosts collect 202 runs in 32 overs.
Smriti set the ball rolling, collecting five quick boundaries by giving the charge to Mlaba, while Shafali smashed off-spinner Delmi Tucker for three boundaries and a six.
Shafali reached her maiden century in style by flicking Mlaba to the fine-leg boundary, and Smriti crossed her milestone a ball later.
The South African bowlers struggled to exert control and bowl to a field on a pitch that did not offer much help, showing their lack of experience in the format.
After Smirti fell one run short of 150, edging Tucker to first slip, Shafali displayed her big-hitting capabilities with clean strikes down the ground. She marched to her milestone in style by depositing Tucker for two consecutive sixes over long-on from 187 and then took a single through the off-side to score the fastest double-century off just 194 balls.
With a huge total on board, it will be interesting to see if India opts for an overnight declaration and begins its pursuit of victory early on day two.
Content Source: www.thehindu.com