Statsman: India women in Tests vs Aus - stats, trivia and records

Hunting in pairs

122 The eighth-wicket partnership between Deepti Sharma and Pooja Vastrakar at the Wankhede Stadium in the first innings is the highest for any wicket from eight to ten by any side against Australia in Women’s Test cricket. It was only the second 100-plus stand against Australian women in a Test by a lower-order pair.

Highest partnership for wickets 8 to 10 against Australia in Women Tests

Runs	Wkt	Pair	For	Venue	Month, Year	Result
122	8th	Deepti Sharma & Pooja Vastrakar	Ind	Mumbai WS	Dec 2023	Won
100	9th	Heather Knight & Sophie Ecclestone	Eng	Canberra	Jan 2022	Drawn
87	8th	Carol Marett & Jill Saulbrey	NZ	Wellington	Mar 1975	Drawn
85	10th	Katherine Sciver-Brunt & Isha Guha	Eng	Worcester	Aug 2005	Won

Note:
Only one other partnership of 156 runs, but for the seventh wicket between England’s Heather Knight and Laura Marsh in Wormsley in August 2013 (drawn), has exceeded the Deepti-Pooja effort for a lower-order pair.

2 The number of women batters to register a score of fifty-plus in each of their first four Test matches of their careers. Deepti Sharma, in the only Women’s Test match against Australia at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, emulated Australian Denise Alderman (sister of former Aussie pacer Terry Alderman) during her career-best knock of 78 in the first innings on 22 December 2023. A fifty in her next Test match will mean that Deepti will keep this record all to herself.

Women batters scoring a fifty in each of their first four Test matches of their careers

Denise Alderman (Australia)

Scores	Opp	Venue	Month, Year	Result
84 & 20	Eng	Perth	Dec 1984	Drawn
121 & 1	Eng	Adelaide	Dec 1984	Lost
84	Eng	Brisbane	Jan 1985	Drawn
58 & 19	Eng	Gosford	Jan 1985	Won

Note: in her next Test match she made 43 & 23 in Bendigo in January 1985

Deepti Sharma (India)

Scores	Opp	Venue	Month, Year	Result
29* & 54	Eng	Bristol	Jun 2021	Drawn
66 & 3*	Aus	Carrara	Sep 2021	Drawn
67 & 20	Eng	Navi Mumbai	Dec 2023	Won
78	Aus	Mumbai WS	Dec 2023	Won

78 The career-best score forDeepti Sharma in Women’s Test cricket at the Wankhede Stadium is now the highest individual score by any opponent batter while coming in at a batting position below five against Australia. However, Deepti missed registering the highest Test score by an Indian batter from positions 8 to 11 by two runs. While on debut, Sneh Rana’s unbeaten 80 against England in Bristol in June 2021 is still the Indian record by a number eight.

Highest individual Test scores by batters from batting position 6 to 11 against Australia Women

Runs	Bat#	Batter	For	Venue	Month, Year	Result
78	8th	Deepti Sharma	Ind	Mumbai WS	Dec 2023	Won
70	6th	Chris Watmough	Eng	Adelaide	Dec 1984	Won
66	6th	Ruth Westbrook	Eng	Adelaide	Mar 1958	Drawn
66	6th	Deepti Sharma	Ind	Carrara	Sep 2021	Drawn
64	7th	Karen Smithies	Eng	Hove	Aug 1987	Drawn

Highest individual scores by Indian batters from batting position 8 to 11 in Women’s Test cricket

Runs	Bat#	Batter	Opp	Venue	Month, Year	Result
80*	8th	Sneh Rana	Eng	Bristol	Jun 2021	Drawn
78	8th	Deepti Sharma	Aus	Mumbai WS	Dec 2023	Won
66	8th	Shyama Shaw	Eng	Hyderabad	Dec 1995	Drawn

3 The number of occasions when opponent sides have registered 400-plus totals against Australia Women in Tests. India Women, at the Wankhede Stadium, became the latest side to emulate England, who have achieved these totals on two separate occasions.

400-plus totals achieved by opponents against Australia in Women’s Tests

Total	Opponent	Venue	Month, year	Result for opponent
463/10	England	Nottingham	June 2023	Lost by 89 runs
414/10	England	Guildford	August 1998	Drawn
406/10	India	Mumbai WS	December 2023	Won by 8 wickets

187 The first-innings lead for India Women in the Mumbai Test is now the highest conceded by Australia Women in Tests. Thus, this lead is India Women’s fourth-highest gain in Tests. In the previous Test against England in Navi Mumbai, India achieved its biggest first-innings lead in Women’s Test matches, as shown in the second table.

Biggest first innings lead conceded by Australia Women in Tests

Runs	Team1 (totals)	Team2 (totals)	Venue	Month, year	Result (for Aus)
187	Aus (219 & 261)	Ind (406 & 75/2)	Mumbai WS	Dec 2023	Lost by 8 wkts
158	Aus (131 & 232)	Eng (289 & 75/4)	Worcester	Aug 2005	Lost by 6 wkts
148	Aus (129 & 311)	NZ (277 & 88/8)	St Kilda, Melbourne	Jan 1979	Match drawn

Biggest first innings lead gained by India Women in Tests

Runs	Team1 (totals)	Team2 (totals)	Venue	Month, year	Result (for Ind)
292	Ind (428 & 186/6d)	Eng (136 & 131)	Navi Mumbai	Dec 2023	WON by 347 runs
254	Ind (404/9d & 13/0)	SAf (150 & 266)	Paarl	Mar 2002	WON by 10 wkts
208	Ind (307 & 98/5)	Eng (99 & 305)	Taunton	Aug 2006	WON by 5 wkts
187	Aus (219 & 261)	Ind (406 & 75/2)	Mumbai WS	Dec 2023	WON by 8 wkts

7 The number of victories achieved by India Women in Test cricket. Their latest win at the Wankhede Stadium was their first against Australia. India has defeated all Women’s Test opponents except New Zealand. The second table below summarises India’s results against all five opponents.

India Women’s seven Test victory

#	Victory date	Ground/Stadium, City	Opponent	Victory	India’s Test Number
1.	19 Nov 1976	Moinul Haque Stadium, Patna	West Indies	by 5 wickets	4
2.	22 Mar 2002	Boland Bank Park, Paarl	South Africa	by 10 wickets	28
3.	1 Sep 2006	County Ground, Taunton	England	by 5 wickets	34
4.	16 Aug 2014	Sir Paul Getty’s Ground, Wormsley	England	by 6 wickets	35
5.	19 Nov 2014	Raja Wadeyar Ground, Mysore	South Africa	by an inns & 34 runs	36
6.	16 Dec 2023	DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai	England	by 347 runs	39
7.	24 Dec 2023	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai	Australia	by 8 wickets	40

Note:

India Women’s last five Test wins have come in their last seven matches (the other two being drawn)

India Women in Test cricket – summary of results against all opponents

Opponent	Span	Tests	Won	Lost	Draw	%Win
West Indies	Oct 1976 to Nov 1976	6	1	1	4	16.67
New Zealand	Jan 1977 to Nov 2003	6	0	0	6	0.00
Australia	Jan 1977 to Dec 2023	11	1	4	6	9.09
England	Jun 1986 to Dec 2023	15	3	1	11	20.00
South Africa	Mar 2002 to Nov 2014	2	2	0	0	100.00
	Total	40	7	6	27	17.50