NEW DELHI: India’s wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh etched her name in the record books on Thursday, smashing the highest-ever score by a batter at No.8 or lower in Women’s ODI history with a blistering 94 off 77 balls against South Africa in the ICC Women’s World Cup at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Ghosh’s whirlwind innings, laced with 11 fours and four sixes, rescued India from a precarious 102 for six to a competitive total of 251. She surpassed the previous record of 74 held by South Africa’s Chloe Tryon, set earlier this year against Sri Lanka.Remarkably, this match also created another piece of history — it was the first-ever Women’s ODI where both teams’ No.8 (or lower) batters scored fifties. South Africa’s Nadine de Klerk smashed a match-winning 84 not out off 54 balls, also eclipsing Tryon’s earlier mark.Also Read:‘We didn’t take responsibility’ – Harmanpreet Kaur blasts top orderDespite Ghosh’s heroics, India succumbed to a three-wicket defeat, marking South Africa’s first win over India after five straight losses and their third consecutive World Cup victory against the Women in Blue.
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Earlier, India got off to a promising start as Pratika Rawal (37) and Smriti Mandhana (23) added 55 runs in 10.2 overs, but the collapse that followed saw five wickets tumble for just 19 runs. From 83 for one, India slumped to 102 for six, with Harmanpreet Kaur, Jemimah Rodrigues, and Deepti Sharma failing to settle.Ghosh then took charge, rebuilding with Amanjot Kaur (13) and later Sneh Rana (33). Her 51-run partnership with Amanjot and 88-run stand with Rana for the eighth wicket lifted India to respectability. She reached her fifty in 53 balls and unleashed a late assault, plundering 44 runs in her final 24 deliveries before falling in the last over.While the match ended in heartbreak for India, Richa Ghosh’s record-breaking knock shone bright — a powerful reminder of her immense potential and fearless approach on the world stage.
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