India become the first team to cross 600 in Women's Tests

Much to the relief of the Proteas women, the Indians have completed their first innings at Chepauk. However, the misery for the Rainbow Nation players ended only after India declared the innings after playing 115.1 overs, scoring 603 runs, and losing just six wickets. 

This was the first instance of any side crossing the 600-run mark in women’s Tests. Even more praiseworthy is that the Indian women scored these runs at 5.23 runs/over. Never before a 300+ total has been scored in women’s Tests at a run rate north of 5.00. 

🚨 𝙍𝙀𝘾𝙊𝙍𝘿 𝘼𝙇𝙀𝙍𝙏 🚨

📽️ That 𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗖 moment when #TeamIndia reached the highest-ever team total in Women's Tests! 🔝👏

Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/4EU1Kp6YTG#INDvSA | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/nb9VxYhANf

— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) June 29, 2024

However, despite the wickets of all-rounders Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, and Pooja Vastrakar still intact, coach Amol Muzumdar called the batters back as soon as wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh was dismissed after a splendid knock of 86 off 90, which is the second highest score for an Indian 'keeper in women's Tests. 

India began Day 2 positively, with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (69) and Ghosh resuming their innings. India added 78 runs with ease and lost the wickets of both the overnight batters. 

Harmanpreet's team had ended Day 1 on a record 525/4, the most runs scored in a single day’s play of a Test match in women’s Test history. 

That was largely possible due to the mammoth opening partnership of 292 between Smriti Mandhana (149) and Shafali Verma (205), a record in women’s Test matches. Verma also became only the second double centurion from India after Mithali Raj and became the second youngest to reach the milestone after the former Indian captain. 

It’s notable that Raj also has the highest score in Test matches for India women (214), and Verma missed that by nine runs as she ran herself out late on Day 1 of the Test. 

Read: Mandhana, Verma and the art of Proteas pulverisation

Meanwhile, it was an extremely arduous day for the visitors under the hot Chennai sun. They lacked control with the ball as their bowlers failed to pitch their deliveries on a consistent line and length, reflected by the fact that there were no maidens bowled on Day 1 after the first hour of play. 

Off-spinner Delmi Tucker took 2/141, but she leaked runs at 5.42/over. Meanwhile left arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba was more economical (4.66), but had only one wicket to show in the innings after bowling 26.1 overs. 

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