“My only concern was making those four runs,” Shafali Verma says of her anxious thoughts during her valiant innings in the Chennai Test

Against South Africa, Shafali Verma struck a remarkable century of runs off 197 balls in the ongoing one-off Test being played at Mumbai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium on June 28. The right-hander was unfortunate to be run out after hitting an incredible 23 boundaries and eight maximums. The India opener eclipsed England’s Jenette Brittin’s 137-ball century in just 113 balls, shattering the 40-year-old mark.

A double century was also achieved by Shafali, making him the second-youngest behind former India captain Mithali Raj. Shafali is the only other Indian to surpass the historic milestone after the retired cricket player accomplished the same feat against England in 2002. Returning to action, Shafali and Smriti Mandhana had a 292-run partnership for the first wickets, helping India post a dominant 525 for four on the first day of the Test match. The 20-year-old joked that she would always remember this special event.

Also read: Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana lead India to a brilliant start on the first day of the Chepauk Test

For the rest of my life, I will cherish this unique event as a priceless treasure. After the title victory in the U-19 (T20) World Cup, this is my second favourite knock. The starts I made in the ODIs (against SA in Bengaluru) were not converted.

The ball was moving early on and they were bowling well, so I decided to take my time today, Shafali Verma stated, as cited by The Week.

“I was trying to progressively calm down while supporting my strength. By God’s help, I was able to achieve both my first 200 and 100 simultaneously, which is a testament to my diligence. I’m thrilled to be a valuable member of the team. Nobody ever forgets being fired from 96, and I was reminded of that experience while I was on 96 (today). To score those four runs was all I could think about. I was trying to support myself even as I got closer to 200,” she continued.

Mandhana brings red-ball format with strong shape.

The innings played by Mandhana, the starting Indian batsman, was another memorable part of the game. In just 161 deliveries, he hit 149 runs. Mandhana has been playing at an incredible level; during the ODI series, she has scored tonnes after tonnes and was removed for 91 in the third ODI. She made history by becoming the first female to score hundreds of runs in a single day and has been a major factor in the limited-overs success of the Women in Blue.