What’s the story?
After Jhulan Goswami’s feat of becoming the highest wicket-taker in women’s ODI cricket, India Women have owned another world record, as their openers Deepti Sharma and Poonam Raut shared the first ever 300-run partnership in women’s ODI cricket.
The duo achieved this feat against Ireland Women during the 8th match of the quadrangular ODI series currently underway in South Africa. Sharma and Raut put up 320 runs in 45.3 overs for the first wicket and registered individual centuries in the process.
While Raut retired hurt after scoring 109 runs off 116 balls with 11 fours, Sharma accumulated 188 runs off just 160 balls with 27 fours and 2 sixes. In reply to India’s mammoth total of 358/2, Ireland were skittled out for 109, thus giving India a comfortable 249-run victory.
In case you didn’t know
India Women are participating in a quadrangular ODI series in South Africa that features, apart from the hosts South Africa Women, teams of Zimbabwe and Ireland. India have been undefeated so far in the tournament, having already beaten all other teams once prior to this game.
Earlier in the series, fast bowler Jhulan Goswami had become the highest wicket-taker in women’s ODI cricket, when she’d picked up the last of her three wickets against South Africa in the 2nd ODI of the tournament.
Details
In the process, Sharma also registered the second-highest individual score in women’s ODI cricket and she now sits behind Australia’s Belinda Clark, who’d scored 229 vs Denmark Women during the 1997 Women's World Cup.
She has also become the first Indian to register a score of 150 or more in ODIs eclipsing the previous best of 138* by Jaya Sharma against Pakistan Women in 2005. While she missed out on a double century by just 12 runs, she now holds the record of being the youngest cricketer – across men’s and women’s cricket – to register a score of 175 runs or more.
Sharma and Raut overcame the previous record for the best partnership for any wicket, which was held by England’s Sarah Taylor and Caroline Atkins, who stitched together a 268-run stand against South Africa in 2008.
Author’s take
While women’s cricket often doesn’t get its fair share of recognition and media attention, if these recent feats by India Women are anything to go by, very soon there would be fans actively following women’s cricket in a manner that may be similar to, although not equal, the way they follow men’s cricket in the country.
The India squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2017 has been announced and all eyes would now be set on the title that has always eluded the Indian team, unlike their male colleagues, who have won the World Cup twice.
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