India women vs. South Africa women in a recent one-test faceoff has been a buzz for fans of Indian cricket. The two giants of women’s cricket did once again take on the longest format of the game as women’s cricket returns to Chennai.
India batted first on the track of MA Chidambaram Stadium, with Shafali Verma and in form Smriti Mandhana stepping onto the field and making a historical partnership, as either Indian openers Mandhana and Shafali Verma scored tons. Mandhana was the first wicket to fall for a 149-run individual score, while Verma batted alongside Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur, scoring her first-ever double-hundred in the longest format of the game.
Rodrigues, Harmanpreet, and Richa Ghosh batted well for their 50’s, and India declared a total score of 603, as Richa was denied her hundred by Mlaba’s inswinging delivery.
Followed by the historic innings played by the Indian women at the Chidambaram Stadium, the Indian bowlers, especially Sneh Rana, wreaked havoc as India made a buzz by bowling out the Protea women for 266. Luus and Kapp put on fighting 50s; however, nothing could stall Sneh Rana’s single-handed demolition of the South African batting lineup. She broke the back of the Protea batting lineup with an 8-fer.
South Africa was put into bat again, as the follow-on saw Protea skipper Wolvaardt alongside Sune Luus once again dominating with the bat and scoring majorly fought 100s. However, the Protea middle order once again collapsed to the Indian bowlers, as Gayakwad struck with the skipper’s wicket, and neither Kapp nor de Klerk could take it any further for the visitors.
Rana finished with a 10-wicket haul in the match, as Deepti and Gayakwad all struck to put an end to South Africa’s innings. India Women came to chase a total of 36 runs in the second innings, and India Women secured a win over the opposition with 10 wickets to spare. This remains an iconic victory by the Indian women and will remain to be written in golden words in the history of women’s cricket.