Highest debut score: Shafali, Rana break 26-year old record

Shafali Verma’s 96 against the England women’s team is the highest score on Test debut by an Indian women’s cricket team batter. If she had made another four runs against England in India’s first innings in Bristol, Shafali would have become the first Indian woman to score a century on Test debut.

Sneh Rana’s unbeaten 80 in India’s second innings to draw the Bristol Test is also the second-highest individual score by an Indian woman on Test debut. The previous highest individual score on Test debut by an Indian woman was 75 by Chanderkanta Kaul against New Zealand in Nelson in 1995.

In all, there have been 12 half-centuries made by Test debutants for India Women.

Highest individual scores on Test debut for India Women

Only two batters have ever made centuries on debut for India Women: Mithali Raj and Reshma Gandhi. Interestingly, both centuries were unbeaten and came in the same ODI against Ireland at Milton Keynes, England in 1999. While Gandhi played only one more match for India thereafter, Raj is still playing 22 years later!

As far as women’s Test cricket is concerned, there have been 12 centuries – including a double ton -- on debut, although none by an Indian yet. Three have been scored against India. Incredibly, seven of the 12 debut centuries have been made by Australians, including the top four scores.

Centuries on Test debut in women’s cricket

Featured photo: Twitter / BCCI Women