India, Oct. 10 -- Thursday night belonged to two batters on opposite sides. Each scripting an innings that will linger long in memory. In Visakhapatnam, where the humidity hung heavy and pressure mounted, India's Richa Ghosh and South Africa's Nadine de Klerk turned a group stage match at the ODI World Cup into an extraordinary contest of resolve.

They both batted at No. 8 and spoke the same language of determination, but their knocks came from very different positions. While Richa set up India's total with power and maturity, de Klerk rescued South Africa from the brink with a well-planned heist.

Ghosh: Setting the stage

Richa had given Visakhapatnam its first glimpse of defiance that night. She is often labelled India's X-factor. And...