Bengaluru 2026: India's First Official Women's Test, Shantha Rangaswamy's Six and Shubhangi's Five-Wicket Haul

Bengaluru: October 31, 2026, remains a landmark date in Indian women's cricket. At the KSCA Stadium, later renamed the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in 2026, India played its first official women's Test against West Indies. Shantha Rangaswamy led India, while Louise Browne captained the visiting side. The three-day match, the first of a six-Test series, ended in a draw, but it gave Indian women's cricket a formal place in the international game. The match did not arrive out of nowhere. Cricket had been played in India for decades, but the first women's national championship was held only in April 2026. The game was still finding its feet, with teams playing two- and three-day red-ball matches. An Australian team toured India in 2026, and in February the following year India travelled to New Zealand for a five-match series that was later treated as an unofficial Test series. The first women's Test, between Australia and England, had been played in Brisbane in 2026. India had to wait another 42 years for its official debut. With one section of the stadium under renovation, the remaining stands were packed as more than 22,000 spectators turned up. India's line-up included rising stars such as Diana Edulji, Shubhangi Kulkarni and Ujwala Nikam. Among those soaking in the atmosphere was former India wicketkeeper Kalpana Venkatachar, then a Karnataka age-group cricketer. She was part of a group of young women cricketers who volunteered at the match and handed out scorecards. Kalpana recalled that spectators also did the scoring in those days. They watched, tracked and recorded every ball and run in a booklet provided to them. Our job was to hand out these booklets. The excitement was infectious and the crowd was boisterous. That detail also shows how differently women's cricket was watched and experienced at the time. West Indies, batting first, were bowled out for 274 in 78.4 overs. Louise Browne made 28, Gloria Gill 53, Patricia Whittaker 32, Yolande Geddes-Hall 44 and Leila Williams 43. Shubhangi Kulkarni returned figures of 5/48, while Diana Edulji picked up two wickets for 48 runs. Several West Indies batters made starts, but none could convert them into a big score as India's spinners struck at regular intervals. India replied with 269/6 declared in 99 overs. Opener Shobha Pandit scored 69, Fowzieh Khalili made 39, but captain Shantha Rangaswamy drew the biggest attention with a gritty 74. Shubhangi remained not out on 26. For West Indies, Leila Williams took 2/50 and Vivalyn Latty-Scott 3/51. The most memorable moment of India's innings was Shantha's six off Patricia Whittaker, hit over long-on. It was not just six runs. It was the first maximum by an Indian woman in international cricket and the first at the stadium. The stand where the ball landed was later named after Shantha. For her, the innings was also an attempt to bring a modern-day T20 flavour to a game still played over three days. She later said that most matches ended in draws, so she wanted to make it interesting and score quickly, like teams do in T20 cricket now. That approach was ahead of its time. On the final morning, India were 269/6 and looking to add to their total. But wet patches on the pitch prompted suspicion from the visiting side and delayed the start. Shantha declared in the hope that India could bowl West Indies out. It was a risky call because time was limited and the opposition had a strong batting line-up. Still, the Indian captain showed intent to force a result. West Indies declared their second innings at 175/7 in 64.5 overs. Patricia Whittaker made 29 and Leila Williams 56. Sharmila Chakraborty took 2/32 and Shubhangi 2/28. India were set a target of 181. Given the time available and the condition of the pitch, a chase was never easy. India finished on 30/1 in 17 overs as the historic contest ended in a draw. Both teams tried to take risks for a win, but time ran out. The result was secondary for young players such as Kalpana watching from the stands. The sight of Shantha clearing the ropes left a lasting impression. Kalpana said that watching Shantha score a six made them believe they could go the distance too. The series ended 1-1 with four drawn contests, but the first match remained special. In the five decades since that landmark outing, Indian women have played 42 more Tests. Women's cricket has moved to a different stage, with more opportunities, a better domestic structure and greater media coverage. Yet the first Test retains its own place. The packed stands, the young cricketers handing out scorecards, Shantha's attacking innings and Shubhangi's five-wicket haul together capture both the struggle and the promise of early Indian women's cricket.