Mithali Raj and the Indian women’s team will look to win their third ODI against England and salvage some pride by avoiding a whitewash on Saturday. After losing two consecutive ODIs, it is important for India to get back to winning ways before the 3-match T20I series begins next week.
The Indian women’s team have lost each of their last three ODIs against England. Their last win came at Mumbai in 2019 when the Indian bowlers rattled the English line-up and bundled them for 161. Shikha Pandey (4/18) and Jhulan Goswami(4/30) were the star performers for India in that match.
The team management must address the concerns in the batting department if India are to win Saturday’s ODI. Players like Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Shafali Verma will also have to perform well and lend support to the skipper in the batting unit.
Mithali Raj has performed well in both games. However, Raj played with a low strike rate of 65.50 as the skipper was trying to save the team from crisis situations.
On that note, here are some of the impressive records held by Mithali Raj in women’s cricket.
#4 Most runs in ODI cricket
Mithali Raj is the leading run-scorer in the history of women’s ODI cricket. Across 216 matches, she has amassed 7229 runs so far, at an impressive average of 51.26, including seven centuries and 57 fifties. Her knock of 125* against Sri Lanka in 2018 is Raj’s highest ODI score to date.
Former England captain Charlotte Edwards is behind the Indian skipper with 5992 runs in her ODI career. Raj also needs just12 runs in the next match to overtake Charlotte Edwards and become the leading run-scorer in women’s cricket across all formats.
#3 Most matches as a captain in ODI cricket
The veteran right-handed batter also holds the record for captaining the highest number of matches in women’s ODI cricket. Mithali Raj has led the Indian team on 139 occasions in ODI cricket since she took over as skipper in 2004. India have emerged victorious in 83 ODIs and lost 53 games under her leadership.
Mithali Raj is currently tied with former Australia captain Belinda Clark for the highest number of wins in women’s ODI cricket. They both have 83 wins to their name while leading their national sides. If India wins on Saturday, Mithali Raj will become the most successful captain in ODIs.
#2 Youngest player to score a double century in Tests
The Jodhpur-born cricketer is the youngest women’s player to score a double hundred in Tests. She achieved the feat on 14 August, 2002 when she was 19 years and 254 days old.
Batting at the No. 4 position, Mithali Raj played a superlative knock of 214 (in 407 balls) against the England team and helped India draw the match. Mithali Raj is also the youngest cricketer to score a century in an ODI. She achieved this feat on June 26, 1999, when she hit 114 runs against Ireland.
#1 Most consecutive fifties in ODI cricket
The veteran batter has also hit seven successive fifties (70*, 64, 73*, 51*, 54, 62*, 71) in ODI cricket in 2017. Interestingly, all of these knocks came while playing outside of India.
Mithali Raj is the only player with a streak of seven fifties in women’s ODI cricket. Ellyse Perry, Lindsay Reeler, and Charlotte Edwards have streaks of 6 consecutive fifties to their names.
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