Indian batter Shefali Verma scripted history on Friday when she scored the fastest double ton in Test cricket during the one-off Test match between India and South Africa at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Verma reached her double century in just 194 deliveries.
Verma surpassed Australia's Annabel Sutherland's record of a double ton in 256 balls. Sutherland achieved the feat against South Africa earlier this year. Australia's Karen Rolton also has a double hundred off 313 balls.
Verma smashed the record during a marathon partnership with Smriti Mandhana on the first day of play.
Not only did Verma score her maiden century on the first day, but she also made a 292-run partnership with Mandhana. Verma's stellar knock was ended by a runout by Nonkululeko Mlaba and Sinalo Jafta.
Verma became the second Indian, after Mitali Raj, to reach the milestone in the game's longest format. Raj scored 214 runs off 407 balls in a drawn Test against England at Taunton 22 years ago.
The 20-year-old Shafali's 205 is the seventh-highest score in women's Tests, but she missed recording the highest individual score by an Indian in women's Test history. She also fell 38 runs short of breaking the world record, which goes to Pakistani player Kiran Baluch, who scored 242 against the West Indies in 2004.
Mandhana also scored an impressive 149 off 161 balls, in which she hit 27 boundaries and one six.
Verma and Mandhana's opening partnership of 292 runs in just 52 overs surpassed the 241-run opening stand by Pakistan's Sajjida Shah and Kiran Baluch against West Indies in Karachi in 2004.
Impressed with the blistering performance by Shefali Verma and Smriti Mandhana, Congress' Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor took to X and wrote, “All of us obsessed with Indian cricket should rejoice at the stellar performance today of our unjustly neglected women Test cricketers!”
At stumps, the hosts posted 525/4 on the opening day with Harmanpreet Kaur (42*) and Richa Ghosh (43*) remaining unbeaten.
