The 2024-25 Senior Women’s Multi-Day Challenger Trophy kicked off with a high-intensity battle as Team C locked horns with Team D. Winning the toss, Team C opted to bat first, but their decision seemed shaky as Team D’s bowlers made an immediate impact.
Kashvee Gautam was the wrecker-in-chief early on, delivering twin blows to Team C’s top order. She first dismissed Uma Chetry for a duck (0 off 5 balls) and then sent Tanusree Sarkar back for just 1 (9 balls). With Team C struggling at 10/2, they were in dire need of a partnership to stabilize their innings.
At this critical juncture, Shafali Verma and skipper Jemimah Rodrigues stepped up, launching a brilliant counterattack. Their 103-run partnership off 114 balls not only steadied the innings but also turned the momentum in Team C’s favor. Jemimah Rodrigues played a composed knock of 26 off 42 balls, while Shafali took charge, hammering 76 off 72 balls. Just when this partnership seemed to be taking the game away, Sneh Rana broke the stand, by bowling Jemimah at 113/3.
Despite losing her partner, Shafali continued her attacking approach, this time finding support from Tejal Hasabnis. Their 86 run-stand, off 89 balls, further strengthened Team C’s position. Hasabnis played a vital role, scoring 59 off 61 balls, while Shafali maintained her aggressive style. Eventually, Shafali’s blistering knock of 108 off 104 balls, featuring 19 boundaries, came to an end when Sneh Rana bowled her, providing Team D with a crucial breakthrough.
With Shafali gone, Team D might have hoped for a collapse, but Sushree Dibyadarshini and Tejal Hasabnis had other plans. The two batters stitched together the biggest partnership of the innings—124 runs off 179 balls. Hasabnis showcased remarkable grit and skill, playing a stunning knock of 169 off 185 balls, ensuring Team C crossed the 400-run mark. Dibyadarshini played a crucial hand as well, contributing 67 off 91 balls, further frustrating Team D’s bowling attack.
After a dominant batting display, Team C declared their innings at 405/9 in 85 overs, setting a formidable total on the opening day. The standout batters for Team C were Tejal Hasabnis (169 off 185), Shafali Verma (108 off 104), and Sushree Dibyadarshini (67 off 91).
For Team D, Kashvee Gautam led the bowling attack with an impressive spell, claiming 3 wickets for 57 runs in 15 overs, providing crucial breakthroughs early on. Sneh Rana, though expensive, played a key role in breaking partnerships, finishing with 2/110 (19). However, it was Gongadi Trisha who produced the most economical spell, delivering a fine performance with figures of 3/32 (11), ensuring that Team C didn’t run away with the game entirely.
In response to Team C’s mammoth total, Team D began their innings confidently, reaching 29/0 in just 4 overs, trailing by 376 runs. Trisha was the aggressor, smashing 26* off 17 balls with six boundaries, while Nandini Kashyap played cautiously, remaining unbeaten on 3 off 7 balls. With no early wickets lost, Team D made a steady start, setting up an intriguing battle for Day 2.
With Team C holding the advantage after a commanding batting performance, Team D will look to build on their solid foundation when play resumes. The Senior Women’s Multi-Day Challenger Trophy is off to a thrilling start, and the contest is only set to intensify as the match progresses.
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