Well done Indian Women's Cricket Team!
The Indian women's cricket team, so long neglected and generally ignored by the cricket-crazy, but male-obsessed Indian public, has made it finally! Despite the hurdles, despite lack of support and sponsorship (which is perhaps not even a fraction of what their male counterparts get), despite the general apathy of Indians towards women playing cricket, they have managed to create a permanent place in the history of women's cricket.
Yes, they lost in the World-Cup finals, but what a tooth and nail resistance they gave to the far better-trained, seasoned English team. Skipper Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandana,Punam Raut, Deepti Sharma, Veda Krishnamurthy, have finally wrested recognition for themselves and for women's cricket from the Indian media and general public.
They have managed to secure a place in our hearts with their bravura performance. Individual achievements have been exceptional, creating and breaking records on the ground.
Where the team failed- and the lack of proper coaching and grooming is to be blamed for that - is in chasing a target determinedly while playing it cool. They needed psychological training more than anything, which can make or break performance on an international field. Nerve, they didn't lack, what was missing was the ability to keep a cool head while dealing with a more aggressive team. And were they crushed after the elusive victory was snatched from their hands. They lost, with a markedly slim margin, to the far better trained English girls.
Compare it to the male Indian cricket team's dismal defeat at the hands of an inferior Pakistan team in the ICC World Cup finals, and you will see what grit, doggedness and finally heartbreak are. You could almost touch the grief and disappointment, written large over the countenance of the ladies in blue.
But what they have managed to achieve is world-wide recognition for their sport, and admiration and awe for their performance. That in itself is no mean feat. Now it is up to the Indian corporate biggies, the sponsors, the sports authorities, to remove their blinkers, and pitch in to support this team with financial and training aids.
It's time we stop discriminating in facilities to those playing "women's cricket". The girls have proved to be one if the world's best teams.
Yes, they lost in the World-Cup finals, but what a tooth and nail resistance they gave to the far better-trained, seasoned English team. Skipper Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandana,Punam Raut, Deepti Sharma, Veda Krishnamurthy, have finally wrested recognition for themselves and for women's cricket from the Indian media and general public.
They have managed to secure a place in our hearts with their bravura performance. Individual achievements have been exceptional, creating and breaking records on the ground.
Where the team failed- and the lack of proper coaching and grooming is to be blamed for that - is in chasing a target determinedly while playing it cool. They needed psychological training more than anything, which can make or break performance on an international field. Nerve, they didn't lack, what was missing was the ability to keep a cool head while dealing with a more aggressive team. And were they crushed after the elusive victory was snatched from their hands. They lost, with a markedly slim margin, to the far better trained English girls.
Compare it to the male Indian cricket team's dismal defeat at the hands of an inferior Pakistan team in the ICC World Cup finals, and you will see what grit, doggedness and finally heartbreak are. You could almost touch the grief and disappointment, written large over the countenance of the ladies in blue.
But what they have managed to achieve is world-wide recognition for their sport, and admiration and awe for their performance. That in itself is no mean feat. Now it is up to the Indian corporate biggies, the sponsors, the sports authorities, to remove their blinkers, and pitch in to support this team with financial and training aids.
It's time we stop discriminating in facilities to those playing "women's cricket". The girls have proved to be one if the world's best teams.
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