IN-W VS SA-W TEST, DAY 3: SNEH RANA CREATES HISTORY, BECOMES SECOND INDIAN WOMAN CRICKETER TO PICK 8-WICKET HAUL
India spinner Sneh Rana made history by taking an eight-wicket haul against South Africa in the first innings of the ongoing one-off Women's Test in Chennai. Rana's remarkable performance led to South Africa being dismissed for 266 in 84.3 overs. India enforced the follow-on after scoring 603/6 in their first innings.
Rana's exceptional effort made her the third woman to achieve an eight-wicket haul in Test cricket. She dismissed both openers, Laura Wolvaardt and Anneke Bosch, before dismantling the middle order by taking the wickets of Delmi Tucker, Marizanne Kapp, Sinalo Jafta, and Annerie Dercksen. Rana then removed Masabata Klaas and Nonkululeko Mlaba to complete her eight-wicket feat, finishing with figures of 8/77 in 25.3 overs.
With this achievement, Rana joined the elite company of India's Neetu David, who took 8/53 against England in 1995, and Australia's Ashleigh Gardner, who claimed 8/66 against England in 2023. Notably, no other Indian bowler has taken more than six wickets in an innings of a Women's Test match.
Rana has consistently proven to be India's go-to bowler in crucial moments. Her prowess with the ball was on full display in the one-off Test against Australia in December 2023, where she claimed seven wickets, helping India restrict Australia to a low target. India chased down just 75 runs to secure a historic victory, with Rana being named Player of the Match for her outstanding performance.
In her post-match comments, Rana attributed her success to keeping her strategy simple and recognizing the unique demands of Test cricket.
"The preparations were very simple. There was no need to experiment because red-ball cricket is a long game. As far as my bowling is concerned, my preparations have always been around bowling the right channels and back my strengths. So, I did the same in this Test and the previous one. I remained calm and did not experiment,” Rana had said after the win.