When Mithali Raj became the first Indian Woman to score a Test double
In the summer of 2002, India Women toured England and Ireland and were part of an ODI Tri-series against New Zealand and England first up. India suffered big defeats in the first three matches of the Tri-series before their last game got abandoned. Later, they toured Ireland where they found some revival from big losses in England. They won the first two ODIs of the 3-match series comfortably but the last match ended in a washout.
Later, India returned to England to conclude their tour with a 2-match Test series. The first Test was scheduled at the Denis Compton Oval in Shenley but the match was called off due to rain on the 3rd day. Instead, an ODI was played at Wilton Park in Beaconsfield on what was to be the 4th day of the first Test. India’s miserable run in England on the tour continued as they suffered a 6-wicket defeat.
England start strong
The County Ground in Taunton stood host for the final match of the tour. India Women reduced the English team to 27/3 after winning the toss but the middle and lower-order batters rescued the home team. Laura Newton stood as top-scorer with 98 for England Women who finished with 329 by making the Indian bowlers toil for 128 overs. By the end of the 2nd day’s play, India reached 156/3 with Mithali Raj unbeaten on 43 while skipper Anjum Chopra was dismissed for a 151-ball 52.
Mithai, along with Hemlata Kala, put on 144 for the 4th wicket before the latter was run out for 62. Playing her only 3rd Women’s Test match, Mithali went on to score a century off 256 balls. She spent 328 minutes and began to score runs at a quick pace after reaching triple digits. In her next 61 balls, Mithali scored 50 runs despite hitting only three fours.
Mithali turns up the heat
During this period, India were reduced to 297/6 but Jhulan Goswami provided the much-needed support to India’s No.4 batter. In this process, Mithali registered India’s highest individual score in Women’s Test cricket going past Sandhya Agarwal’s 190 which came in the 1986 Worcester Test also against England. Raj soon became the first Indian Woman to smash a Test double hundred taking 390 balls in the 525 minutes spent at the crease.
Mithali Raj went to stumps on day three at an unbeaten 210 and recorded the highest Test score by a Woman. She broke the record held by Karen Rolton with an unbeaten 209 only a year ago. Mithali’s innings came to an end on 214 on the final morning after she was trapped in front by Isa Guha. This brought an end to her 157-run partnership with Goswami who scored 62 runs. India were bowled out for 467 runs in their first innings after losing their last four wickets for 22 runs in only 8.1 overs.
India took a 138-run lead but the match ended in a draw as England Women made 198/6 from 81 overs. Mithali Raj’s record was broken in March 2004 when Pakistan’s Kiran Baluch scored 242 against West Indies Women in Karachi. Ellyse Perry came close to going past Mithali when she scored an unbeaten 213 in 2017 Women’s Ashes Test. As many as seven Test double centuries have been recorded in Women’s cricket out of which six came against England only.
