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Key Points
- Indian women’s cricket team scores 525/4, setting a new record for most runs in a single day of Test cricket.
- Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, the opening batters lead with scores of 205 and 149, respectively.
- Delmi Tucker praises the Indian team while outlining her team’s strategies for a comeback.
- The pitch showed more spin post-lunch, offering potential opportunities for the bowlers on Day 2.
- South African women are adapting to Test cricket challenges due to limited red-ball cricket experience.
The Indian women’s cricket team made history on Friday, the opening day of their Test match against South Africa, by scoring an unprecedented 525 runs for the loss of four wickets. Led by Harmanpreet Kaur, the team shattered previous records, achieving the highest number of runs scored by any team in a single day of Test cricket, across both men’s and women’s formats. This remarkable feat surpassed the Sri Lankan men’s team record of 509 for nine against Bangladesh in 2022 and the English women’s team record of 431 for two against New Zealand in 1935.
Opening batter Shafali Verma spearheaded the onslaught with a stunning double century (205), ably supported by Smriti Mandhana, who fell just short of her own double century with 149 runs. Together, they laid a formidable foundation that left the South African bowlers struggling.
Delmi Tucker, the South African spinner, commended the Indian team for their extraordinary performance but remained hopeful that her team could make a comeback. “We will look back and refresh today, sit down and have discussions about tomorrow. Nothing taking away from their (Indian) batters today; they were phenomenal,” Tucker said at the post-day press conference.
Tucker, who took two wickets but conceded 141 runs, acknowledged the difference in formats contributed to Shafali Verma’s performance. “It’s a different format, and obviously, she (Shafali) has more time (to settle down). She gave her all and made the most of the opportunity since she is a great batter,” Tucker noted.
Despite their best efforts, the South African team struggled to contain the Indian batters. The pitch, expected to be spin-friendly, did not turn as anticipated on the first day, which, combined with misfields and overthrows, compounded the visitors’ challenges. “Yes, we were a bit off from our lines (with the ball) and wish we could have been better. But, nothing to take away from her as she did (bat) really well,” Tucker admitted.
Tucker highlighted that the Proteas did adjust their strategies during the day, attempting various fielding and bowling adjustments to counter the Indian openers. “We did try a few things when Smriti and Verma were batting. We switched to around the wicket and changed the field. We were happy with it for some time, but they took it away,” she said.
Looking forward to Day 2, Tucker expressed optimism, noting that the pitch had begun to show signs of turn after lunch, which could be advantageous. “We knew this wicket was going to be good for spin and there was early movement upfront. There was more spin after lunch and we need to take more advantage of it tomorrow,” she stated.
The South African women’s cricket team faces additional challenges, given their lack of a proper red-ball setup back home and no multi-day competitions to hone their skills. Despite these hurdles, Tucker remains positive about their learning curve. “We (SA Women) are still young (in) Test cricket, so we are still getting used to it. It’s tough unlike T20s and ODIs, but we are still learning,” she concluded.
The historic day has set the stage for an exciting Test match, with the Indian team looking to build on their monumental start and the South Africans aiming to leverage any advantage they can find on a pitch that is beginning to turn.
