Harmanpreet Kaur creates history, becomes first to register major captaincy milestone

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has created history after her team's win over South Africa in the one-off Test on Monday, July 1. The Women in Blue defeated the Proteas side by 10 wickets after chasing a meagre score of 37 on Day 4 of the Test match. 

This was India's third win in a row in Test cricket, which has propelled the Indian captain to a never-seen-before record. Harmanpreet has become the first woman to win her first three Test matches as a captain. She earlier led the Women in Blue to victories over England and Australia in December 2023 before this recent win over the Proteas.

Notably, the third straight win for the Indian team is the joint-longest streak in women's Test cricket. The Women in Blue have earlier held a three-win streak in the format between 2006 and 2014. The Aussie women's team has three occasions of three successive wins in the format.

India were asked to chase only 37 on the final day



of the Test. They made 603/6d while batting first with Shafali Verma scoring a double ton and Smriti Mandhana making a hundred. Shafali made 205 and became the second Indian with a double ton. She took 194 balls to hit her double century and broke the record for the fastest to reach there. For Mandhana, this was her fourth century in five matches. After India called the declaration, The Proteas managed to make 266 with Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp making fifties. 

The Indians decided to give a follow-on to the Proteas and they responded better this time around, at least to push India to bat again. Led by captain Laura Wolvaardt and Sune Luus' centuries, South Africa put up 373/10. 

Sneh Rana took a match haul of 10 wickets - 8 in the first innings and 2 in the second. She became only the third player and second Indian with 8 wickets in an innings. Rana is also the second Indian and 12th overall with 10 wickets in a women's Test match.