The one-off Test between India and England has attracted a lot of attention as the two sides met after seven long years to play in the longest format. While there was no doubt that England would start as favorites given the fact that the team plays relatively more Test cricket than India, the visitors have ensured that they are in the reckoning as well.
With five debutants playing in India XI, one of them has simply taken the cricketing world by storm. She is none other than Shafali Verma. The 17-year old from Rohtak, who has already achieved the milestone of becoming the number one T20I batter has shown the world that she can play Test cricket as well.
Opening the batting with Smriti Mandhana on Day 2 of the Test after England scored a daunting 396-6, Verma looked confident right from the word go. There was not even an iota of nervousness in her body language. She was chewing the gum and toying with the experienced English bowling attack.
The swashbuckling batter during her stay at the crease was breaking records for fun. She created history on Day 2 when she broke the 26-year-old record to become the highest run-scorer for any Indian woman cricketer in a Test debut match. The teenager has broken Chandrakanta Kaul’s (75 runs, 1995) record.
During her stellar knock of 96, she smacked two sixes. The two sixes were also worth a record as they made her only the second India woman cricketer to hit a six in a Test match. She also became the first Indian woman cricketer to hit a six on Test debut.
Giving her company was her opening partner Mandhana, who crafted a well made 78. The duo stitched together 167 runs for the first wicket. This is the highest opening partnership for Indian women in Test cricket. Earlier in 1984 against Australia, Gargi Banerjee and Sandhya Agarwal had compiled 153 runs for the first wicket.
After failing to go past the follow on target of 247, India was asked to bat again. Though there was disappointment among the Indian fans, there was a glimmer of delight as they were going to see Shafali batting again. On Day 3, she became the youngest woman batter to bring up two half-centuries in two innings of a debut Test match. She becomes the fourth batter to bring up two fifties in two innings in a debut match.
With the kind of start that Shafali Verma has got, there is seldom any doubt that she knows anything else but scoring runs and breaking records.
Highest scores by an 🇮🇳 Woman on debut
1️⃣ Shafali Verma – 80*
2️⃣ Chanderkanta Kaul – 75
3️⃣Shantha Rangaswamy- 74
4️⃣Sandhya Agarwal – 71
5️⃣Shobha Pandit – 69
6️⃣ Gargi Banerjee- 63
7️⃣Minoti Desai – 54
8️⃣ Sangita Dabir – 52
9️⃣ Smriti Mandhana – 51#ENGvIND #ENGWvINDW— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 17, 2021
More records for Young Shafali Verma. #ENGvIND #ENGWvINDW pic.twitter.com/INw1B7pRCZ
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 18, 2021
Shafali Verma becomes the ninth Indian to make a half-century on women’s Test debut.
Source: @_hypocaust #ENGvIND #ENGWvINDW pic.twitter.com/s9fMpq6E30
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 17, 2021
Just a few records that Shafali Verma chose to break today for fun 😀
1️⃣ Only Indian woman to score 50+ in both innings on Test debut.
2️⃣ Fourth overall to score 50+ in both innings in Test debut.#ENGvIND #ENGWvINDW
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 18, 2021
Shafali Verma walking on the steps of her role model – Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar ❤️🇮🇳#ENGWvINDW #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/jy9WGyEsUT
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 18, 2021
Shafali Verma becomes the 4️⃣th female player to score 50+ in both innings on a Test Debut :
🏴 Lesley Cooke – 72 & 117
🇱🇰 Vanessa Bowen – 78 & 63
🇦🇺 Jeff Jonassen – 99 & 54
🇮🇳 Shafali Verma – 96 & 50* #ENGvIND #ENGWvINDW— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) June 18, 2021
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