Photo via Onmanorama

Indian women’s cricket at fifty: Remembering pioneers of the sport

As India’s women’s cricket continues to break new ground with record crowds, league expansions, and global triumphs, a half-century milestone slipped past without fanfare. The first-ever Test match for the Indian women’s team took place on October 31, 1976, at Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, where India faced the West Indies in a three-day encounter that ended in a draw.

The match drew large crowds, a testament to the early enthusiasm for the sport, and marked a pivotal moment in the game’s development. India’s team was led by Shantha Rangaswamy, a trailblazing all-rounder who captained the side in 12 Tests during the formative years of women’s cricket.

Under her leadership, India secured their first-ever Test victory against the West Indies in Patna later that same year, and Rangaswamy also became the first Indian woman to score a Test century, with 108 runs against New Zealand in 1977. Her 15-year career spanned from 1976 to 1991, leaving an indelible legacy as one of the sport’s earliest pioneers.

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