India’s bowling all-rounder Pooja Vastrakar played a miracle innings to rescue the team from a situation in which they would have bundled out for a low score. The 18-year-old entered the record books with her 56-ball 51. She is the only batswoman in women’s cricket history to score a half-century in ODIs while batting at Number 9 position or lower.
She broke Kiwi player Lucy Doolan’s record of 48 runs which she had scored against England in 2009. Before her, it was Indian all-rounder Jhulan Goswami who held the record. The veteran scored 43 runs against South Africa in World Cup 2017.
Here is the list of top 10 scores by batswomen batting at No 9 position or lower —
Pooja Vastrakar (India) — 51 vs Australia, March 12, 2018
Lucy Doolan (New Zealand) — 48 vs England, March 22, 2009
Jhulan Goswami (India) — 43* vs South Africa, July 8, 2017
Y van der Merwe (South Africa) — 42* vs India, November 30, 2000
Rene Farrell (Australia) — 39* vs England, June 29, 2009
Shanel Daley (West Indies) — 38* vs South Africa, October 18, 2009
P Thomas (West Indies) — 38 vs India, March 3, 2004
D Small (West Indies) — 37* vs Sri Lanka, November 9, 2008
Rachel Priest (New Zealand) — 36 vs Ireland, July 4, 2010
Laura Marsh (England) — 36* vs Sri Lanka, November 17, 2016
Vastrakar took on Australian bowlers right from the start. She struck 7 fours and 1 six in her innings. The 18-year-old stitched a crucial partnership of 76 runs for the 8th wicket with wicketkeeper-batswoman Sushma Verma.
Here are the highlights of her innings —
WATCH: Pooja Vastrakar’s maiden fifty that lifted India to a respectable total in the 1st ODI against Australia @paytm #INDvAUS – https://t.co/hNrZtE8aGm
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) March 12, 2018
Here’s how Twitterati reacted to Vastrakar’s innings —
#INDWvAUSW i see jhulan goswami’s reflection in pooja vastrakar…… Good fast bowling as well as good hitting ability…
— Ravi Prakash (@rp3356) March 12, 2018
POOJA VASTRAKAR, India’s number 9 is the highest run scorer of this inning with
51. This is only her second game btw.Take a bow. #INDWvAUSW
— CricCrazy DV (@deepakv712) March 12, 2018
Can someone please give this young Pooja Vastrakar the WoM if India wins and she gets 1,2 wickets? #INDvAUS #INDWvAUSW
— Jessy Rajkumari (@imJR_4) March 12, 2018
Pooja Vastrakar might not have hit four sixes in a row but do remember that name. Brilliant batting.#INDWvAUSW
— Suneer (@suneerchowdhary) March 12, 2018
POOJA VASTRAKAR becomes the first Woman to score FIFTY while batting at No.9 and lower in ODI cricket.
Previous Highest: 48 by NZ’s Lucy Doolan against England in 2009. #INDWvAUSW
— Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats) March 12, 2018
200 is not a good total & the batting sans Mithali was below par
But gotta look at the positives – 18-year-old Pooja Vastrakar’s 1st 50 in her 2nd match & Sushma Verma’s best-ever ODI score, building a partnership to ensure India batted the full 50#INDWvAUSW— ZENIA D’CUNHA (@ZENIADCUNHA) March 12, 2018
A 50 in only her 2nd game coming in at 113/7 with the side in all sorts of trouble, batting at 9 that too against the best side in the world
Take a bow POOJA VASTRAKAR! #INDWvAUSW— Abhay Chaudhary (@ImAbhay3) March 12, 2018
What a sensible batting from this 18-year-old in her second ODI. 51 off 56 balls. Pooja Vastrakar is the new kid to watch out for. #INDWvAUSW
— Srinidhi (@Srinidhi_PR) March 12, 2018
Pooja Vastrakar scores her 1st ODI fifty and that too at a time when India needed it most. Well done lady… @BCCIWomen #INDWvAUSW #TeamIndia #BleedBlue
— Moumita Sarkar (@sarkar_moumita) March 12, 2018
What an innings by Pooja Vastrakar…revived India’s score #INDvAUS
— swati v (@swativ1) March 12, 2018
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Vastrakar got out in the last over in an attempt to clear the fence. Her innings ended after a catch by duo Ellyse Perry and Rachael Haynes on the boundary. She helped India post a modest total of 200 in the first innings.
