India Women team’s tour of South Africa in 2001/02 was a historical series that saw many firsts. Although South Africa made their return to international cricket in 1991/92, when their men’s team visited India to play three ODIs, their female counterparts did not feature that regularly.
Unchartered territory
This was South Africa’s first Test match in 30 years. India, too, were touring the Rainbow Nation for the first time. They had already played a Test match that year, against England at Lucknow. They match, a dull draw, had historical significance: it marked the debut of Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami.
The four-match ODI series prior to the Test match was badly affected by rain. One match was abandoned, and South Africa Women won the other two by DLS method to claim the series 2-1.
The teams then moved to Paarl to play the Test match. South Africa were led by Cindy Eksteen, an all-rounder from the Orange Free state. One interesting inclusion was Sunette Viljoen, who would win an Olympic silver medal in javelin throw in 2016.
India were obviously the more experienced side, featuring the likes of captain Anjum Chopra, Anju Jain, Hemlata Kala, and the legendary Neetu David. They also featured youngsters like Raj, Goswami, Mamatha Maben, and the uncapped Jaya Sharma and Sunita Singh.
India put up 404
On 19 March, Chopra won the toss and did not hesitate to bat. The top seven all made at least 24, and five of them got fifties. India batted for nearly 10 hours and 168 overs before Chopra declared on 404/9.
Openers Jain and Sharma added 45 before the latter was dismissed for 24. Chopra top-scored with 80; there were fifties from Kala (64), Raj (55), Jain (52), and Maben (50); and Deepa Marathe got 40 from No. 7. Eksteen (2-64) and Cri-Zelda Brits (2-91) were the most successful bowlers.
South Africa follow on
The South Africans were tired and lost opener Kerri Laing early, to Goswami. For a while it seemed that like Josephine Barnard and Daleen Terblanche had steadied the ship; but Marathe dismissed Terblanche (25) late on Day 2. South Africa finished with 60/2.
India Women dominated Day 3. They first bowled out South Africa for just 150. Sunita provided them the early breakthrough by dismissing Sune van Zyl. South Africa lost wickets at regular intervals after that. Barnard top scored with 31, Eksteen contributed with 25, but that was all.
For India, slow left-arm orthodox spinners Marathe (3-14) and David (2-41) shared five wickets between them. David also ran out two batters. Chopra asked South Africa to bat again.
All too easy, in the end
South Africa were again in trouble again, when Goswami picked up Laing early in the innings. She also picked up Terblanche cheaply, David caught Barnard, and the hosts ended day 3 on 67/3, still 187 runs behind India.
South Africa needed to bat for the whole of Day 4 to save the match. Resistance came from Alison Hodgkinson (77), Viljoen (71), and Denise Reid (36). Hodgkinson and Viljoen batted for nearly 37 overs to add 73 runs. This was followed by another 69-run stand between Viljoen and Reid.
But it was not enough. Kala, Player of the Match in India’s previous Test match, bowled a key spell to pick up three wickets including that of Hodgkinson. David and Bindeshwari Goyal picked up two wickets each and Goswami three.
South African were bowled out for 266. India needed to score a mere 13 for their maiden Test win in South Africa.
It took Raj and Chopra 9 balls to bring up India’s first overseas Test win.
India Men had play Test series in South Africa in 1991/92, 1996/97 as well as in 2001/02, but they had failed to win a single match. Their first Test win came later, on the 2005/06 tour.
Brief scores
India Women 404/9 decl. (Anjum Chopra 80; Cindy Eksteen 2-64) and 13/0 (Mithali Raj 9*) beat South Africa Women 150 (Josephine Barnard 31; Deepa Marathe 3-14) and 266 (Alison Hodgkinson 77; Hemlata Kala 3-18) by 10 wickets.