Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], October 12 : Australian pacer Annabel Sutherland became the first women's cricketer to achieve a unique feat of getting a five-wicket haul in women's ODI on her birthday.
Sutherland, who turned 24 today, did not let India capitalise on a 155-run partnership for the opening wicket between Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal, as she helped the Aussies take down India to 330 all out from a fine position of 234/2 at one point with figures of 5/40 in 9.5 overs.
Rashid Khan, the Afghanistan spin sensation, is the only one to do so in men's ODI, securing a five-for against South Africa last year.
Also, Sutherland could not have chosen the best time to secure her first-ever five-wicket-haul, a World Cup clash against India. She is the only third Australian to get a five-wicket haul in the Women's World Cup, besides T Macpherson (5/14 in 1973) and LA Fullston (5/27). She has the third-best figures by an Aussie during an ICC Women's World Cup.
Sutherland also reached a personal milestone by taking her 50th wicket in Women's ODIs, finishing with career-best figures.
Coming to the match, Australia won the toss and opted to bowl first. Openers Pratika Rawal (75 in 96 balls, with 10 fours and a six) and Mandhana (80 in 66 balls, with nine fours and three sixes) laid down the platform with an incredible 155-run stand for the opening wicket. However, India could not capitalise on it a lot as a five-wicket haul from Annabel Sutherland (5/40) and Sophie Molineux (3/75) managed to take regular wickets later on.
After exploits from Mandhana-Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, the skipper (22 in 17 balls, with three fours), Jemimah Rodrigues (33 in 21 balls, with five fours), and Richa Ghosh (32 in 22 balls, with three fours and two sixes) walked the talk with an attacking approach, but could not convert their starts to milestones as Sutherland and Molineux took India from 234/2 in 36.2 overs to 330 all out in 48.5 overs.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor
