ICC Women's World Cup 2022: 4 players close to landmarks in India vs New Zealand clash
The India vs New Zealand match in the ICC Women's World Cup is scheduled to take place at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Thursday. The hosts will be eager to win this one to boost their morale.
On the other hand, after a triumphant victory over their arch-rivals Pakistan, the Indian team will be ready for their next encounter in the ICC Women's World Cup, against New Zealand.
The Indian team have had a great start to the tournament after beating Pakistan by 107 runs in their first game. Pooja Vastrakar's 67 (59) helped them post a total of 244. Rajeshwari Gayakwad's spin then cleaned up the Pakistan batting line up, bundling them out for a mere 137.
Going into the next match with this level of confidence could help the Indian team. Their chances of advancing to the next stage will get boosted further if they manage to defeat the hosts.
Captain Mithali Raj's team recently got heavily beaten by New Zealand 4-1 in an ODI series. They have the added motivation of looking for some sort of sporting revenge.
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On that note, let's take a look at 4 such players on the verge of achieving major milestones in the India vs New Zealand match.
#1 Jhulan Goswami could complete 250 wickets in India vs New Zealand match
A veteran campaigner for the Indian team, Jhulan Goswami has played international cricket for about 20 years now. In 196 ODI matches, she has picked up 247 wickets at an economy rate of 3.34. Goswami also has 1,189 runs to her name with a highest score of 57.
The lead seamer in the Indian team is now just three wickets short of joining the 250-wicket club in the ODI format. Moreover, if she picks up three wickets in the India vs New Zealand match, she would also join the 350-wicket club, for all formats taken together.
#2 Deepti Sharma is 90 short of 2500 runs across formats
All-rounder Deepti Sharma has been playing for the Indian women's team since 2014 and has managed to gather 1,760 runs in 63 innings at an average of 36.66 in ODIs. She currently has 2,410 runs across all three formats, and requires 90 more to reach the 2500-run mark.
Also, if she hits nine more boundaries, she can complete 250 fours in international cricket.
Regarding her all-round abilities, Deepti is also an effective right-arm off-break bowler with 80 ODI wickets in 70 games to her credit. She is just five wickets away from completing 150 wickets in all three formats taken together.
#3 Amy Satterthwaite needs five runs to complete 4500 ODI runs
Amy Satterthwaite is a leading top-order batsman for the White Ferns and has been a phenomenon in one-day cricket. She has accumulated 4,495 runs in 133 innings at an average of 38.75. The 35-year-old has 26 half-centuries and seven centuries to her name.
Just five more runs in the India vs New Zealand would make her a member of the 4,500-run club in ODIs. The White Ferns will be looking to win their second match of the Women's World Cup and reach four points in the points table of the tournament.
#4 Suzie Bates is one sixer away from completing 50 maximums across formats
Another veteran for the White Ferns, Suzie Bates, has been playing for the New Zealand Women's team since 2006. With 4,872 runs in 131 innings, Bates has scored 11 centuries and 28 half-centuries for the team.
Moreover, her all-round capabilities have helped New Zealand win time and again. She is a right-arm medium-pacer with 75 wickets in 137 matches, with a personal best of 4/7.
Suzie Bates has now hit 49 sixes across formats and needs to clear the fence just once in India vs New Zealand match to complete a half-century of sixes.