(Credit BCCI)

India made history in women’s Test cricket by surpassing Australia’s previous record of 575/9, setting a new benchmark of 603 in their one-off Test against South Africa at Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium. The milestone was achieved when Richa Ghosh struck a boundary off the first ball of the 109th over bowled by Annerie Dercksen, after which India declared their innings.

The foundation for this remarkable total was laid by Indian openers Shafali Verma, who scored 205, and Smriti Mandhana, who contributed 149, combining for a monumental 292-run partnership—the highest ever in women’s cricket for an opening stand.

Further contributions came from Jemimah Rodrigues with 55 runs, as well as skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh, both of whom remained unbeaten after reaching their respective half-centuries. This collective effort ensured India’s dominance and etched their name in the record books of women’s Test cricket.

India concluded Day 1 of their Test match against South Africa with an imposing score of 525 for four, establishing a new record for the highest single-day total in Test cricket. This milestone surpassed the previous mark set by the Sri Lankan men’s team, who scored 509 for nine against Bangladesh in Colombo back in 2002.