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India's Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana stitched up one of the most exciting partnerships in women's Test cricket history on Thursday (June 17) against the England women's cricket team at Bristol's County Ground.
The hosts won the toss and posted a 396-run total on the board in the first innings. Heather Knight (95), Sophia Dunkley (74*) and Tammy Beaumont (66) were the stars of England Women's innings. Sneh Rana was the most successful bowler for the visitors, with figures of 4/131.
In reply, the duo of Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana provided India Women with a dream start. They built a 167-run partnership in 48.5 overs to give the Indian women's cricket team the upper hand on Day 2 of the Test match.
Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana reached multiple milestones during their epic partnership. Here's a look at five of the new records set by the duo.
1. Shafali Verma became the youngest opener to score a fifty on Test debut in women's cricket
17-year-old Shafali Verma has already proved herself as one of the best batters in the world in the shortest format of the game. However, not many fans were confident that she would be able to perform equally well in Test cricket.
Shafali silenced her doubters with a magnificent half-century in Bristol. She scored 96 runs off 152 deliveries in her first Test knock, to become the youngest opener to score a fifty on Test debut in women's cricket history.
2. Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana set a new record for the highest opening partnership in Indian women's Test cricket history
Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana scored 167 runs before Kate Cross dismissed the former in the 49th over. The partnership has now become the best opening stand in Indian women's Test cricket history.
The record was previously held by the duo of Chanderkanta Kaul and Anju Jain, who scored 132 runs for the first wicket versus England at Denis Compton Oval in 1999.
3. Shafali Verma broke the record for the most runs by an Indian women's player on Test debut
Shafali Verma broke Gargi Banerji's 27-year-old record to become the new owner of the record for the most runs by an Indian batter on women's Test debut. Banerji scored 87 runs while making her Test debut versus the Australian women's cricket team in 1984.
Unfortunately, Verma missed her well-deserved hundred by just four runs. It will be interesting to see if any other Indian women's batter can break Shafali's record of 96 runs on Test debut.
4. Shafali Verma is the first Indian women's player to hit two sixes in one Test innings
As mentioned earlier, Shafali Verma has made a name for herself with her brilliant performances in the T20 format. Although she played with a little more restraint on her Test debut, Shafali cleared the boundary twice with her aerial shots.
Thanks to her two maximums, she became the first Indian women's cricketer to smash two or more sixes in one Test knock.
5. Shafali Verma is the first women's player in the world to hit two sixes on Test debut
While Shafali Verma became the first Indian women's player to hit two sixes in one inning, she also became the first player in women's Test cricket history to smash two maximums on debut.
Shafali hit her first six off Nat Sciver's bowling in the 13th over. Her second maximum came towards the long-on region off Sophie Ecclestone's bowling in the 46th over.
Both Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana returned to the dressing room as England Women bounced back by taking three quick wickets. You can follow the live scorecard of the England Women vs India Women Test match right here.
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