Known as the "Sachin Tendulkar of Indian women's cricket" for the longevity of her career, Mithali Raj became only the second woman player in the world and the first from India to get to 10,000 international runs during Friday's third ODI against South Africa women.

The 38-year-old Raj, who is in her 22nd year of international cricket, made her debut for India in June 1999 when the Indian men's team was still led by Mohammed Azharuddin and had just a few days before her debut exited the 1999 World Cup in the Super Six stage. "As long as I get an opportunity to bat, it has to be counted and that has given me a lot of experience and exposure to work on my game over the years with the changing standards in women's game. I try to be relevant in the international circuit," said the right-handed Raj after Friday's game while speaking to the media.