The South African women’s team is currently on a tour of India. Team India has already whitewashed the visiting team 3-0 in the ODI series. Now in the only Test match being played at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India’s Shafali Verma has created history by scoring a double century. Shafali played a historic innings of 205 runs in 197 balls and she also shared a 292-run opening partnership with Smriti Mandhana. Thanks to this partnership, Team India has scored a record 525 runs for the loss of 4 wickets on the first day of the Test match.
Fastest double century
Now the record of the fastest double century in women’s cricket has been added to the name of Shafali Verma. The Indian opener completed her double century in 194 balls. Before her, the record of scoring the fastest double century was in the name of Australia’s Annabel Sutherland. Annabel created a record by completing a double century in 256 balls in February this year. But after 5 months, Shefali has broken her record. Before Sutherland, Karen Rolton of Australia had scored a double century in 313 balls.
Completed double century by hitting 2 sixes
Shefali Verma was once playing after scoring 187 runs in 191 balls. In the 73rd over of the innings, Delmy Tucker came to bowl for South Africa. Verma hit a huge six on the very first ball and then again hit a six on the next ball by swinging the bat. She completed a double century in 194 balls by taking a run on the third ball of the over. Seeing Shefali, cricket lovers must have remembered Virender Sehwag’s innings when in the year 2004 he completed a triple century by hitting a six in the match against Pakistan.
Could not break Mithali Raj’s record
Mithali Raj was the first player to score a double century for India in women’s test cricket. Mithali played an innings of 214 runs in a Test match against England in 2002. Mithali hit 19 fours in that innings, while Shefali also hit 23 fours and 8 sixes in her innings. But Shefali could not become the player to score the highest score in Test cricket. If she had scored 215 runs, she would have become the Indian player to score the most runs in a single innings of a Test match, leaving behind Mithali Raj.
Apart from this, if Shefali had added 38 more runs to her innings of 205 runs, she would have become the player to score the most runs in a single innings in women’s Test cricket. Till now, the record of playing the longest innings is in the name of Kiran Baloch of Pakistan, who played an innings of 242 runs.