Goswami enters uncharted territory

India pace great Jhulan Goswami has become the first woman to take 200 one-day international wickets, helping her team secure a series win over South Africa at Kimberley on Wednesday.

Goswami, who broke Australia legend Cathryn Fitzpatrick’s mark for most ODI wickets last year, brought up the milestone when she had South Africa opener Laura Wolvaardt caught behind for 9.

The 35-year-old, who has played 166 one-day matches for her country, went into the series with 195 wickets to her name.

That quickly became 199 when she captured 4-24 in the opening match against the Proteas, before No.200 came up in the fifth over of Wednesday’s game.

It helped complete an emphatic 178-run win for the tourists, who had already cruised to an 88-run win in their series opener on Monday.

India will play one more ODI against South Africa, in Potchefstroom on Saturday. Despite having already secured the series, they’ll be eager to add another two points to their ICC Women’s Championship tally, which determines the teams that progress automatically to the 2021 World Cup.

Watching their performances closely will be Australia, who travel to India in early March for a three-match ODI series and T20I tri-series that also included England.

They’ll have taken particular interest in the form of opener Smriti Mandhana, who scored 84 from 98 deliveries in the opening match before posting her third ODI hundred in the second, a 129-ball 135.

While her half-century was the major highlight with the bat in the first ODI – the second-highest score a 70-ball 45 from captain Mithali Raj – teammates Harmanpreet Kaur (55no off 69) and Veda Krishnamurthy (51no off 33), fresh off stints in the Rebel WBBL, found form in the second.

Quicks Goswami (4-24) and Shikha Pandey (3-23) caused plenty of problems for the Proteas in the first ODI, with the hosts at one point flailing at 5-57 before being bowled out for 121 in pursuit of 214.

But in the second it was the spinners who flourished, leg-spinner Poonam Yadav (2-24), off-spinner Deepti Sharma (2-34) and left-armer Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2-14) all in the wickets.

Australia tour of India

Warm-up match v India A, BKC Ground, Mumbai, March 8

Warm-up match v India A, BKC Ground, Mumbai, March 6

ODI series

First ODI Vadodara International Cricket Stadium, March 12

Second ODI Vadodara International Cricket Stadium, March 15

Third ODI Vadodara International Cricket Stadium, March 18

T20I tri-series

First T20I Australia v India, Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 22

Second T20I Australia v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 23

Third T20I India v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 25

Fourth T20I Australia v India, Brabourne Stadium, March 26

Fifth T20I Australia v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 28

Sixth T20I India v England, Brabourne Stadium, March 29

Final Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, March 31