CHENNAI: India set a new record for the highest team total in Women’s Test cricket on Saturday, during the second day of the one-off Test against South Africa, surpassing Australia’s previous best of 575/9 set in Perth this February.

The milestone was reached when Richa Ghosh hammered a four off the opening ball of the 109th over, bowled by Annerie Dercksen. India’s total soared past Australia’s record to establish a new benchmark.

Much of the credit for this historic feat goes to the stellar performances by Indian openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana. Verma scored a remarkable 205, while Mandhana contributed 149, combining for an iconic opening stand of 292 runs – the highest opening partnership in women’s Test cricket.

Their efforts were well-supported by Jemimah Rodrigues, who scored 55, along with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh, both of whom remained unbeaten past their respective half-centuries.

On Day 1, India had already made headlines by finishing at 525 for four, posting the highest-ever single-day total in Test match history. This achievement broke the previous record held by the Sri Lankan men’s team, who scored 509 for nine against Bangladesh in Colombo in 2002.