Indian women's opening pair of Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma have created history by recording the highest opening partnership in Women's Tests on day one of the one-off Test against South Africa in Chennai on Friday, June 28. (More Cricket News)
The pair has broken the previous record of 241 runs held by Pakistan's Kiran Baluch and Sajjida Shah against West Indies in Karachi in 2004.
The partnership was ended by the dismissal of Mandhana on 292 when she caught at slip off Annerie Dercksen for an individual score of 149.
Highest opening partnerships in Women’s Tests
292 - Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Varma (IND) vs South Africa (Chennai, 2024)
241 - Kiran Baluch and Sajjida Shah (PAK) vs West Indies (Karachi, 2004)
200 - Caroline Atkins and Arran Brindle (ENG) vs India (Lucknow, 2002)
It was also the second highest partnership in Women's Test for any wicket, behind the 309-run stand between Australian pair of LA Reeler and DA Annetts for the third wicket against England in Wetherby in 1987.
Shafali and Smriti thus went past their previous best opening stand of 167 against England in Bristol in 2021.
The duo thus also eclipsed the previous highest Indian partnership for any wicket -- 275 by Poonam Raut and Thirush Kamini against South Africa in Mysore 2014.
Earlier, India women skipper Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and elected to bat first against South Africa women.
Playing XI:
India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Shubha Satheesh, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Pooja Vastrakar, Sneh Rana, Renuka Thakur Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad.
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (c), Sune Luus, Anneke Bosch, Marizanne Kapp, Delmi Tucker, Nadine de Klerk, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Masabata Klaas, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Tumi Sekhukhune.
