BCCI

Chak De!

The Indian Women’s Cricket team has achieved a historic feat. Today, Indian women’s team registered it’s first ever ODI series win against South Africa, in South Africa, in the opening round of ICC Women’s Championship. Indian women were playing an international series after a gap of six months, however, they never made it look that way. It seemed as if they picked it (momentum) up right from where they left at the ICC Women’s World Cup which was held in England last year. We were worthy finalists and the way Mithali led the team through to the finals was nothing short of inspirational. And yet again, Mithali and her team have delivered the goods and we could not be more proud.

TH08SMRITI

This Indian team has got a pretty good mix of youngsters as wells as seasoned campaigners. Smriti Mandhana surely tops the list as many have proclaimed her to be the next big thing in Indian Women’s Cricket. She has definitely matured as a cricketer beyond her age and this gives her an edge over her contemporaries. Deepti Sharma is another prime example of someone oozing with talent and it is only a matter of time before she creates a niche for herself in women’s cricket. The batting department looks solid led by the captain, Mithali Raj, who also happens to be the highest run scorer in Women’s ODI Cricket, besides having several other batting records to her name. She is the epitome of consistency and has been the lone flag bearer for long. Harmanpreet and Veda look almost set to take the baton forward and the flair and flamboyance with which they play their shots is what is most pleasing to the eye. Ever seen Harmanpreet dancing down the track, with her big backlift, coming down hard on the ball sending it over the boundary ropes and into the stands? It is a sight which cannot be matched.

Jhulan-Goswami-200-ODI-wickets

The bowlers too have been up to the mark. We have, amongst our ranks, the top wicket-taker in ODIs and recently she became the first woman to breach the 200 wicket mark. Jhulan Goswami is a force to reckon with and has single-handedly won us matches on many occasions. Shikha Pandey is learning by watching her from close quarters and is growing by leaps and bounds with every game. The slow bowlers have done equal damage. Poonam and Rajeshwari have supported the new ball bowlers quite well. This looks a good package and they have been mighty effective. The bowlers have brought us back or turned matches in our favor on many occasions.

The onus is now on BCCI to promote women’s cricket. The team is doing their bit. Their performance over the past couple of years has been exceptional. It is the right time for the board to cash in and make the most of this uptick that is seen in women’s cricket these days. They can take a cue from their Australian counterpart on how they roped in players to get WBBL started. BCCI sure has the resources to do so and there have been talks doing the rounds of having a Women’s IPL but that’s about it. For now, it seems to be a distant dream. Till such a time comes when women’s cricket gets as much recognition and acceptance, let us come together and applaud the efforts that these women put in day in and day out.

Young Achievers Club

Right, so India brings home the U-19 World Cup Trophy. They have been invincible all throughout the tournament and their performance on the night of the final was a testament to how dominant a side they have been. Boys in Blue lifted the title for the 4th time, most by any team, in their record appearance in the final. Speaks volumes about the kind of work done right from the grass-root level. Harsha Bhogle, the voice of Indian cricket, rightly points out how BCCI invests heavily in making sure that talent meets opportunities at the junior level. How well it has translated into winning at the world stage is an indicator of the amount of work done by them, the authorities, in setting up the right environment for them, the players, to blossom.

All said and done, it was the hard work and commitment of the young Indian brigade that bore the fruits last night. We went into the tournament with possibly one prospective future star, Prithvi Shaw. He was making headlines, whenever and wherever he played. By the end of the tournament, we were looking at a minimum of 5-6 players who looked ready to play at the highest level. The likes of the Gills, the Kalras, the Nagarkotis, all announced their arrival and showcased their abilities in front of the whole world and how. India had a good all-round balance to the side. We had explosive openers right at the top, followed by Gill at no.3, who I believe has been the find of the tournament and will make it to the senior division sooner than later, well supported by the wicketkeeper in the middle order. More often than naught, it was the bowling department which set it up for us or brought us back in the game. Kamlesh, Shivam, and Ishan put up an exquisite exhibition of fast bowling and that really got Ian Bishop pretty excited. It was not just fast bowling which caught everyone’s attention, it was the discipline with which these young pacers were hitting the right line and length which troubled the batsmen. Anukul Roy also deserves a special mention, returning as the joint highest wicket taker of the tournament.

 

One cannot rule out Dravid’s, or even the support staff’s contribution for that matter in India’s World Cup triumph. They have been with the boys from the start, grooming them, nurturing them, and most of all, making them believe in themselves that they are worthy of becoming world champions because oftentimes, nerves get the better of people, and they are still under 19s mind you, on big occasions. And it was very important for someone like a Dravid to be with this young group because he embodies everything we attach goodness to. He was probably the last one to play the sport, the Gentlemen’s game as it is called, with the spirit it echoed.

This has been a fantastic achievement by the boys, winning the U-19 World Cup, but they must remember, it is just the beginning. They have a long way to go and if this tournament is anything to go by, the future of Indian cricket looks to be in safe hands. It is a wonderful stepping stone for many and they would be full of confidence going ahead having defeated the best of the teams to become world champions. It must be overwhelming for most of them to create history and be at the forefront. However, it’s only a matter of time before we see some of them playing for India at the highest level. For now, we must let them have their moment. It must take a lot to soak it in, to let it sink in before they bask in the glory that comes with this win and enjoy the richly deserved success.