Statsman: Deepti Sharma’s unique milestone and all the numbers from India women’s Test cricket run

India Women registered a thumping 347-run win over England in Navi Mumbai, registering a number of milestones along the way. Mohandas Menon looks at some of the most important numbers from the Test.

Published : Dec 21, 2023 12:13 IST , CHENNAI - 0 MINS READ

Indian spin bowling all-rounder Deepti Sharma had an outing to remember against England in Navi Mumbai.

Deepti joins elite club


 

4 The number of players who have the distinction of registering a fifty in an innings and claiming at least nine wickets in the same Test in women’s cricket. India’s Deepti Sharma became the latest to join this elite group in the recent Navi Mumbai Test match against England. This rare feat has been achieved on six occasions, with Aussie Betty Wilson doing so on three occasions. Wilson and Englishwoman Enid Bakewell are the only players in the list below to complete the rarest feats of scoring a century and claim a 10-wicket haul in a match.

A 50 in an innings and 9-wicket hauls in a match in women’s Test cricket

Runs

wickets

Player

For

Agst

Venue

Month, Year

Result

90

4/37 & 6/28

Betty Wilson+

Aus

NZ

Wellington

Mar 1948

Won 

111 & 22

6/23 & 3/39

Betty Wilson

Aus

Eng

Adelaide

Jan 1949

Won

12 & 100

7/7 & 4/9

Betty Wilson+

Aus 

Eng

Melbourne (St. Kilda) 

Feb 1958

Drawn

68 & 112*

3/14 & 7/61

Enid Bakewell+

Eng

WI

Birmingham

July 1979

Won

52

5/47 & 4/64

Kat Sciver-Brunt

Eng

Aus

Worcester

Aug 2005

Won

67 & 20

5/7 & 4/32

Deepti Sharma

Ind

Eng

Navi Mumbai

Dec 2023

Won

+ Players with a fifty and 10-wicket haul in a Test match


 

49 The number of balls debutant Shubha Satheesh took to record her maiden Test fifty in Navi Mumbai against England. Her performance is one of the quickest-recorded fifties in women’s cricket. Both Venessa Bowen and Shubha were on debut.

Fastest to 50 runs in women’s Test cricket (where balls are recorded)

Balls to fifty

Batter (final score & balls faced)

For

Against

Venue

Month, Year

Result

40

Venessa Bowen (63 in 52 balls)

Sri Lanka

Pakistan

Colombo, CCC

Apr 1998

Won

42

Sangita Dabir (50* in 42 balls)

India

England

Kolkata CCFC

Nov 1995

Drawn

48

Nat Sciver-Brunt (58 in 62 balls)

England

Australia

Canberra

Jan 2022

Drawn

49

Shubha Satheesh (69 in 76 balls)

India

England

Navi Mumbai

Dec 2023

Won

51

Smriti Mandhana (127 in 216 balls)

India

Australia

Carrara

Sep 2021

Drawn


 

428 India’s total in Navi Mumbai is now the highest in women’s Test cricket, where none of the 11 batters could register a three-figure score. India also held the previous record.

Highest innings totals without an individual century in women’s Test cricket

Total

For

Against

Venue

Month, Year

50s

Highest score

Result

428/10

India

England

Navi Mumbai

Dec 2023

4

Shubha Satheesh 69

Won

404/9d

India

South Africa

Paarl

Mar 2002

5

Anjum Chopra 80

Won

396/9d

England

India

Bristol

Jun 2021

3

Heather Knight 95

Drawn

366/7d

Australia

England

Hove

Aug-Sep 1987

4

Ruth Buckstein 83

Drawn

362/5

New Zealand

England

Guildford

Jul 1996

4

Kristy Bond 97

Drawn

Note:the top four New Zealand players made 60+ scores


 

4.09 The run-rate achieved by India women in their first innings against England women in the Navi Mumbai Test match. This is now the second highest run-rate achieved by any Test side in women’s Test cricket history in an innings, while scoring at least 300 runs.

Highest run-rates by Test sides in women’s cricket: Minimum: 300-plus totals

RR

Team

Total

Overs

Match Inns

Against

Venue

Month, Year

Result

4.13

Australia

427/8d

103.2

2

England

Worcester

Aug 1998

Drawn

4.09

India

428

104.3

1

England

Navi Mumbai

Dec 2023

Won

3.92

England

503/5d

128

2

New Zealand

Christchurch

Feb 1935

Won

3.81

England

463

121.2

2

Australia

Nottingham

June 2023

Lost

3.80

Australia

473

124.2

1

England

Nottingham

June 2023

Won


 

23 The number of byes conceded by England wicket-keeper Amy Jones in India’s first innings in Navi Mumbai. Her dubious effort is now the most-ever conceded by any wicket-keeper in an innings in women’s Test cricket.

Most byes conceded in a Test innings in women’s cricket

Byes

Conceded by

wicket-keeper

Against

Venue

Month, year

Result

23

England

Amy Jones 

India 

New Mumbai 

Dec 2023

Lost

22

South Africa 

Dulcie Wood 

England 

Cape Town 

Jan 1961

Drawn

21

Pakistan

Asma Farzand 

Sri Lanka 

Colombo 

Apr 1998

Lost

20

South Africa

Eleanor Lambert

England

Port Elizabeth

Dec 1960

Drawn


 

2 The number of Test sides in women’s cricket to achieve 400+ runs in a single day’s play. In the Test match in Navi Mumbai, the Indian women emulated the English women after 88 years by scoring 410 runs on the opening day. The latter had made 431 against New Zealand in Christchurch in February 1935.

Highest team totals in a single day’s play in a women’s Test

Totals

Overs

For

Against

Venue

Achieved on

Result

431-4

— (data not available)

England 

New Zealand 

Christchurch 

16 Feb 1935 

Won

410-7

94

India

England 

Navi Mumbai 

14 Dec 2023 

Won

362-5

100

New Zealand 

England 

Guildford 

12 Jul 1996 

Drawn

351-6

104

England

South Africa 

Johannesburg 

17 Dec 1960

Drawn 

332-7

105

England

India 

Worcester 

12 Jul 1986

Drawn

Notes:

** in Christchurch, England made these runs after dismissing New Zealand for 44 in 28.2 overs

** All the above instances occurred on the first day of the Test match

 

19 The number of wickets that fell on the second day of the Navi Mumbai Test match. This is now the joint second-highest number of wickets to fall on any day of a women’s Test match and the most to fall in a single day’s play on Indian soil. The record number of wickets remains at 24 in the women’s Ashes Test match at St. Kilda in Melbourne in February 1958.

Most wickets to fall in a day’s play in women’s Test cricket

Wkts

Team1 (wkts)

Team2 (wkts)

Venue

Date

Day

Result

24

Australia (14)

England (10)

Melbourne (St. Kilda)

22 Feb 1958

2+

Drawn

19

England (9)

Australia (10)

Blackpool

28 Jun 1937

3

England won by 25 runs

19

England (9)

Australia (10)

The Oval

13 Jul 1937

3

Drawn

19

Australia (9)

England (10)

Worcester

1 Jul 1951

2

Australia won by 2 wkts

19

England (9)

Australia (10)

Brisbane

16 Feb 2003

2

Australia won by 5 wkts

19

India (9)

England (10)

Navi Mumbai 

15 Dec 2023

2

India won by 347 runs

+ there was no play on the first day


 

66 The number of boundaries (including two sixes) hit by the Indian women batters in the first innings in Navi Mumbai against England. Only two other sides struck more in women’s Test cricket in an innings.

Most boundaries (4s and 6s) hit in an innings in women’s Tests

Bds

(4+6)

For

Against

Venue

Month, Year

Result

72

(72+0)

England (455)

South Africa 

Taunton 

Aug 2003

Won

67

(66+1)

Australia (569/6d) 

England 

Guildford 

Aug 1998

Drawn

66

(64+2)

India (428)

England 

New Mumbai 

Dec 2023

Won

63

(63+0)

England (463)

Australia 

Nottingham 

June 2023

Lost

61

(61+0)

England (497)

South Africa

Shenley

Aug 2003

Drawn

Note: the number of fours hit by India is also the third-highest in women’s Test cricket


 

479 The target set by India in the Navi Mumbai Test match is now the highest by any side in women’s Test cricket. Sri Lanka is the only other side to set a target of 400 or more in women’s Test cricket.

Highest target set in the fourth innings in women’s Test cricket

Target

Set by

Against

Venue

Month, Year

Result

479

India

England (131)

Navi Mumbai

Dec 2023

Ind won by 347 runs

410

Sri Lanka

Pakistan (100)

Colombo CCC

Apr 1998

SL won by 309 runs

338

England

New Zealand (174/6)

Worcester

Jul 1954

Drawn

315

Australia

England (128)

Adelaide

Jan 1949

Aus won by 186 runs

311

New Zealand

England (225/8)

Guildford

Jul 1996

Drawn

311

India

England (210/6)

Delhi (Jamia Millia CG)

Nov 2005

Drawn


 


 


 

347 The margin of victory by runs for India against England in Navi Mumbai is now the biggest in women’s Test cricket history. India became the second side to win by a margin of 300 runs or more in women’s Test cricket.

Biggest victory margin by runs in women’s Test cricket

Runs

For

Losing side

Venue

Achieved on

Winning captain

347

India

England

Navi Mumbai

16 Dec 2023

Harmanpreet Kaur

309

Sri Lanka

Pakistan

Colombo, CCC

20 Apr 1998

Rasa Silva

188

New Zealand 

South Africa

Durban

13 Mar 1972

Trish McKelvey

186

Australia

England

Adelaide

18 Jan 1949

Mollie Dive

185

England

New Zealand

Auckland

29 Mar 1949

Molly Hide 


 

All records are correct and updated until 16 December 2023