It’s not that often we get to see women cricketers playing the game’s traditional format, Test cricket. The same is true for the Indian women’s cricket team. However, in the limited number of women’s Test matches, we have seen Indian batters deliver marvellous performances.
Since women cricketers don’t play Test matches regularly, it’s a tough task for them to stay longer on the pitch and build huge knocks. But a handful of women batters have shown their skills and determination, notching up double hundreds.
Here we’ll list the Indian women cricketers with double centuries in Test cricket.
1. Mithali Raj: 214 vs England Women | 2002
Mithali Raj became the first Indian and, overall, the fifth woman batter to score a double century in women’s Test cricket. The former Indian captain achieved the feat against England women in August 2002 in Taunton.
Coming to bat at No. 4 in the second innings, Mithali Raj tilted the match’s momentum in India’s favour. The right-hand batter stitched a 144-run stand for the fourth wicket with Hemlata Kala and a 157-run partnership for the seventh wicket with Jhulan Goswami.
Raj accumulated 214 runs off 407 balls, including 19 fours. Her brilliant knock pushed India’s total to 467, helping them take a lead of 138 runs. Eventually, the match ended in a draw.
Raj’s 214 was the highest individual score in women’s Test cricket at that time until Pakistan’s Kiran Baluch (242) surpassed her in 2004.
Also Read | List of Women Cricketers with Double Centuries in WODIs
2. Shafali Verma: 205 vs South Africa Women | 2024
After a gap of 22 years, India women got their second double centurion in Shafali Verma. The explosive opener gave a proper hammering to South Africa women in the one-off Test in June 2024.
Before this knock, Shafali’s highest score was 96 across formats. The triple-digit figures first eluded Shafali in her debut Test innings in 2021, but she went on to convert her maiden century into a double hundred in 2024.
Opening the first innings, Shafali and Smriti Mandhana (149) started with caution in the first hour but then went on a rampage. Shafali built a 292-run partnership for the first wicket with Mandhana.
In the meantime, Shafali brought up her maiden Test century in 113 balls with a four. The right-hand batter then raced away to her maiden double century off 194 deliveries, making her the fastest to score a double ton in women’s Test cricket.
It looked like Shafali would go past Mithali’s 214 runs, but she perished on 205 runs due to an unfortunate run out. Her rollicking batting performance helped India declare their inning at 603 for 6 — the highest team total in women’s Test cricket.
