On Saturday, June 29, a historic moment occurred in women’s cricket when India registered the highest team total in the Test format at the expense of South Africa. The MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai got to witness the Indian batters demolish the Protea bowling lineup, in route to the first-ever total in the 600 range in women’s Test history.
In this article, SportsTiger looks at the five highest team totals in the history of women’s Test cricket.
5. New Zealand (517/8 vs ENG, 1996)
In the first Test of the three-match series between the English women and the New Zealand women in 1996, played at the North Marine Road Ground, Scarborough, the 500-run total was achieved for the third time in the format’s history. New Zealand scored 517/8 in their first innings in response to England’s 414 runs on the board, with Kirsty Bond notching up a double hundred.
4. Australia (525 vs IND, 1984)
In 1984, at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad, the Indian women posted a decent total of 343 runs on the board in the third Test of the four-match series against the Australian women, but little did they know what was about to happen next. In response, Australia scored 525 runs in their first innings against the hapless Indian bowling lineup, which was also the highest team total in the women’s Tests at the time after hundreds for Peta Verco, the captain Jill Kennare, and Karen Price.
3. Australia (569/6d vs ENG, 1998)
The English women put up a 414-run total on the board in the first Test of the three-match series against the Australian women at the Woodbridge Road in Guildford. Joanne Broadbent scored a double hundred for Australia, while Mel Jones got a hundred of her own, to help the team get past a formidable first innings total of England.
2. Australia (575/9d vs SA, 2024)
After bundling out the South African women for just 76 runs at the WACA Ground in Perth in the one-off Test earlier this year, the Australian women’s cricket team put their bowling attack to the sword as well. Annabel Sutherland scored a double hundred, while some valuable contributions from other batters ensured that they declared their first innings for 575/9 before winning the Test match by a margin of an innings and 284 runs.
1. India (603/6d vs SA, 2024)
The Indian women’s cricket team scored the highest-ever total in the history of women’s Tests, declaring their innings at 603/6 against the hapless South African bowling attack. Shafali Verma scored a double hundred, while her opening partner Smriti Mandhana brought up a hundred of her own, setting up the platform for India to get to the milestone number.