There are few better ways to find one’s way out of lean patch in sport than by putting on a memorable show in one’s arena. Following underwhelming scores in the ODIs and whispers about potentially considering giving someone else a go in her place, Shafali Verma’s willow had the last laugh and how.
“ Main humesha straight hi maarti hoon (I always hit straight),” Shafali said after her record-breaking 205 knock obliterated South Africa on day one of the One-off Test against South Africa at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here on Friday.
IND-W vs SA-W One-off Test Day One Highlights: Stumps - IND 525/4 in 98 overs
Shafali and Smriti Mandhana (149, 161b, 27x4, 1x6) vindicated skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s decision to bat first, stitching a gargantuan opening stand of 292 runs, the highest opening partnership in women’s Tests, the highest stand for India in any position in the format and the second-highest partnership in the women’s international red-ball history. India ended the day with 525/4 in 98 overs, a record score for a single day in women’s Tests and India’s highest score thus far in the format.
After a slow start in the first ten overs, a meek South African bowling attack with barely any venom in its fangs offered little to no resistance to India as the openers piled on the runs. Smriti and Shafali’s left-hand-right-hand combination exploited the shorter side of the ground with elan, scoring at a brisk rate of over five runs an over and above from around lunch.
The Indian vice captain’s purple patch continued, evidenced by her nonchalant swipes to the fence and fluent placement in the gaps. Her textbook elegance paired perfectly with Shafali’s composure at the other end.
In the second session, more than a tussle with the opposition, the battle was between the two Indian openers, to see who would get to their century first. Smriti and Shafali went toe-to-toe with their strokeplay. On getting to 90, Shafali sent a tossed-up delivery from Delmi Tucker over the long-on fence for six. With four left to get to her maiden ton, she tried to cut the ball square to the fence but didn’t connect.
Shafali managed to calm her nerves and get to 98 off two singles after which she swatted a short ball from Nonkululeko Mlaba to fine leg boundary to register her maiden Test ton. The emotions washed over Shafali’s face for a few seconds as she pulled her helmet off and raised her bat to the half-full lower stands along Victoria Hostel Road and then to the sky.
Smriti brought up her century off the next delivery in the simplest of fashions with a single. She has now scored a 90-plus score in every single innings against the Proteas in this series, with three hundreds in four outings across two formats.
India’s Smriti Mandhana during the one-off Test against South Africa. | Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B/The Hindu
It took a little over the equivalent of one ODI inning for South Africa to find its first breakthrough. One run away from 150, Smriti edged a length delivery going outside off stump from Tucker to Sinalo Jafta behind the stumps. She trudged back fully aware of how avoidable that shot choice was, to applause from the stands and the dressing room.
Shubha Satheesh, returning to the Indian Test team for the first time since her debut game against England in December, went back at the stroke of tea after edging to the keeper off Nadine de Klerk’s bowling after a 27-ball 15.
Jemimah Rodrigues joined Shafali in the middle and the pair tormented the Proteas some more.
Shafali quickly scurried past the 150 mark and began dealing in boundaries which included four shots along the ground to the fence and three monstrous sixes. She thumped two of those over long on and then took a single off Tucker to bring up her maiden 200.
India’s Shafali Verma celebrates after scoring 200. | Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B/The Hindu
Shafali was 14 runs away from levelling with Mithali Raj for the highest individual score by an Indian woman in Tests, however, a mix-up with Jemimah helped Jafta knock the bails off with Shafali short of her crease. Jemimah tapped the ball to mid-on while Shafali hesitated to run, presumably blocked by the bowler. Jemimah had already made it to the nonstriker’s end prompting Shafali to run for her life to make it in time, but in vain. Several Proteas players came forward to applaud her effort as she made the long walk back.
Jemimah brought up her fifty but fell soon after holing out to de Klerk at extra cover off Tucker’s bowling on 55.
Skipper Harmanpreet and Richa Ghosh brought the curtains down on day one with an unbeaten 75-run stand for the fifth wicket to put India firmly in control of proceedings in the one-off Test.
South African captain Laura Wolvaardt is a doctor in training alongside a flourishing career in cricket. However, she could do nothing to revive a flatlining performance on the field from her players. The Proteas came into this game with a seam-heavy attack, with the paucity of effective spin resources proving to be its Achilles heel at the venue. Inconsistent lines and length and an inability to bowl to the field were a few of many issues that plagued South Africe here. That the wicket offered no turn for most part of the day made things harder for the side.
Delmi Tucker finished the day with two wickets and bowled the most overs for SA - 26 | Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B/The Hindu
Tucker, the pick of SA’s bowlers on day one, conceded that inexperienced may have cost the side.
“We are young in Test cricket. Some of us have played three games, we had a debut today. We’re still getting used to it. It is tough and we’re still learning,” she said.
The side came into the game planning for Smriti, and a foiled catch by Marizanne Kapp when the opener was on 33 might have turned the day in a different direction.
“When Laura gave us the ball, she kept telling us that we needed to keep hitting those areas on the wicket and getting the turn. We knew Smriti is in good form now and the idea was not to let her settle. She kept saying, keep hitting that spot, get the turn and let the ball do its thing,” Tucker added.
The visitor’s dugout had plenty of tired faces but Laura Wolvaardt and Co. will need to find a way to bundle out the host and make a case for saving the match come Saturday.
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