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India's opening pair Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana's record-breaking 292-run stand gave the hosts a commanding position on Day 1 in the one-off Test against South Africa at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday.
Shafali and Smriti led the charge with the bat after winning the toss and smashed South African bowlers around the ground to form the highest opening run partnership in women's Tests. At the end of Day One, India had posted a mammoth 525/4, with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh unbeaten at 42 (76 balls) and 43 (33), respectively. India lost two wickets in the final session of the day - Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues. After slamming a double ton, Shafali's dream outing came to an end. She went for a quick single but fell short of the crease despite making a dive. Her scored 205(197) which were laced with a whopping 23 fours and eight towering maximums. Jemimah looked well set for a long innings at the crease, but Delmi Tucker lured her to play a risky shot which ended the Indian batter's time at the crease. She made 55 runs from 94 balls. In the second session, India held a commanding position despite losing two key wickets. It was a heartbreak for Mandhana, as she fell for 149. She lost her wicket to a tossed-up delivery by Delmi Tucker and ended up guiding it to slip. A couple of overs later, Shubha Satheesh also lost her wicket to right-arm seamer Nadine de Klerk. She tried to go after the pacer but nicked it to the wicketkeeper. When the match began, openers Shafali and Smriti were cautious and a little circumspect but they opened their arms as the game progressed and batted freely. They punished the loose balls and kept their concentration in hot and humid conditions. Mandhana raised her bat for her 50 first, and then Shafali followed suit. The visitors' bowling attack appeared toothless and they struggled to find form. Brief Scores: India 525/4 (Shafali Verma 205, Smriti Mandhana 149; Delmi Tucker 2-141) vs South Africa. (ANI)
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