• Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana shone brightly with remarkable centuries against South Africa in the one-off Test in Chennai.

  • Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bat first.

IN-W vs SA-W: Fans erupt in joy as Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma hit tons on Day 1 of the One-off Test
Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana

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In a display of exceptional batting prowess, the Indian women’s cricket team asserted their dominance on the Day 1 of the one-off Test match against South Africa in Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium. Both Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana shone brightly with remarkable centuries, laying a solid foundation for India’s innings.

Shafali Verma’s aggressive blitz

Shafali opened with aggression and precision, reaching her century with 17 boundaries and 2 sixes, boasting a striking strike rate of 87.40. Verma’s fearless approach from the outset put India in a commanding position early on. She also made history by smashing the fastest century in Women’s Tests, achieving the milestone in just 113 balls, breaking the previous record of 137 balls set by Janette Brittin in 1984. Verma’s aggressive batting set the tone for India’s innings.

Smriti Mandhana’s composed century

Smriti complemented Verma’s attacking style with a composed century of her own. Her innings included 21 fours, maintaining a solid strike rate of 80.29. Following Shafali, Smriti reached her century off 122 balls, placing her second on the list of fastest centuries in Women’s Tests.

Highest opening partnership for India Women

Shafali and Smriti combined to record the highest opening partnership for India Women in Tests during this match. Their ongoing unbeaten partnership surpassed their own previous record of 167 runs against England in Bristol in 2021. Their cohesive batting display demoralized the South African bowling attack and put India in a commanding position.

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Team strategy and composition: India and South Africa

Led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur‘s decision to bat first, India capitalized on the absence of injured players like Yastika Bhatia with Richa Ghosh taking over wicketkeeping duties. The team opted for a spin-heavy attack, featuring Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana and Rajeshwari Gayakwad, supported by seamers Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar.

On the other hand, South Africa introduced fast bowler Annerie Dercksen to Test cricket, while Sinalo Jafta returned as wicketkeeper. The team faced setbacks with players like Tazmin Brits and Eliz-Mari Marx ruled out due to illness, relying on Nonkululeko Mlaba as their lead spinner.

Here’s how Fans reacted:

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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.

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