West Indies’ Zaida James breaks Ellyse Perry’s long-standing record

20-year-old Zaida James broke a unique record, becoming the youngest bowler to take a five-wicket haul against India in Women’s One-Day Internationals (WODIs) in the first ODI on December 22. The left-arm spinner finished with figures of 5/45 and bettered the legendary Ellyse Perry’s record (21y 132d) as India piled on to 314/9 at the end of their 50 overs. 

While James might not have the best CVs heading into the clash, with just five wickets across formats in international cricket, she struck gold in Vadodara, running through the lower order. In two overs, the left-arm spinner removed Jemimah Rodrigues, Saima Thakor, Renuka Singh and Priya Mishra to break India’s momentum. 

She became only the fourth bowler in the history of the sport to pick up a five-wicket haul in India against India, further strengthening her credentials. These are also the best-ever figures by a West Indies bowler against India in WODIs, bettering Anisa Mohammad’s 5/46 that she picked in 2019. 

Despite the late collapse, India’s top order ensured that India reached 314, the second-highest total for the Women in Blue at home. Incidentally, India’s highest total at home (325/3) also came in 2024 against South Africa on a high-scoring wicket in Bengaluru.