Highest score in women's Test cricket: Harmanpreet Kaur-led India holds record

Test matches are usually slow-paced compared to their counterparts ODIs and T20s. 

It is a battle of attrition with teams trying to build huge scores and then put pressure on the other side. As a result taller aggregates are an essential feature for teams to try and dominate the other.

Batting sides usually try to adopt a risk-free approach and take their time to settle down before building on their foundation. But, recently with the evolution of the shorter formats of the game, Test matches are also seeing an increase in the scoring pace.

India Women scripted history after they recorded the highest score in women's Test cricket against South Africa Women in a one-off Test at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai in June 2024. Electing to bat first, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led India posted 603/6d courtesy Shafali Verma's 205 and Smriti Mandhana's 149.

Earlier, Australia Women held the record for the highest score in women's Test cricket. They scored 575/9 in the second innings of a Test match against South Africa in Perth in 2024.

Here we take a look at some of the highest scores in Women’s Test cricket.

Highest score in Women’s Test cricket 

India Women: 603/6d vs South Africa Women | 2024

The India women's cricket team holds the record for the highest score in women's Test cricket. Opting to bat first, India rode on Shafali Verma's 205 and Smriti Mandhana's 149 to post a mammoth score of 603/6d in a one-off Test against South Africa Women at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai in 2024.

Earlier, the hosts put in a stunning display of power-hitting as they reached 525/4 on the first day of the one-off Test. Shafali Verma created history by scoring the fastest double-hundred in Women’s Tests reaching the feat in just 197 balls. She eclipsed Annabel Sutherland’s double in 248 balls, scored earlier in 2024.

The 20-year-old Shafali is also the second youngest woman to score a double ton in Tests after Mithali Raj had reached the milestone aged 19. She sent the bowlers on a leather hunt smashing 23 fours and eight sixes in her knock before getting run out for 205.

Shafali received great support from her opening partner Smriti Mandana who scored 149. The pair put in an epic 292-run partnership in just 52 overs to lay a solid foundation for the team to score big.

Australia Women: 575/9d vs South Africa Women | 2024

Australia Women feature second on the list of the highest score in women's Test cricket. Australia broke its 25-year-old record for the highest score in women’s Test cricket by a team during their one-off Test match against South Africa at Perth in February 2024. After electing to field first, Australia skittled out South Africa for a paltry 76 before scoring big in response.

Australia were struggling at 12/3 before a 155-run partnership between Beth Mooney and Alyssa Healy helped them recover. Annabel Sutherland, who walked in at six, smashed a double century to add to the Proteas’ woes. 

Sutherland hit 27 fours and two sixes before getting dismissed on 210 off 256 balls. Her monumental effort took Australia to 575/9 - the highest score in women’s Test cricket by a team before they declared. Healy missed out on a century as she was dismissed for 99 and Mooney scored 78.

South Africa could not surmount the huge 499-run lead taken by the Aussies as they were bowled out for 215, losing the match by an innings and 284 runs.

Australia Women: 569/6d vs England Women | 1998

During the first Test of the England tour in 1998 at Guildford, Australia put in an excellent display with the willow in response to England’s first innings score of 414. As a result, the Aussies rewrote their 14-year record for the highest score in women’s Test cricket by a team. 

Joanne Broadbent became just the second woman to score a double-century in Test cricket by top-scoring in the contest with 200 off 476 balls. Broadbent’s innings was laced with 25 boundaries as she added 220 runs for the fourth wicket with Mel Jones who also scored a century. 

Australia declared its innings at 569/6 but could not force the issue as England resisted them in the second innings. The match was drawn.

Photo credit: Alamy