The Hindu : Indian women's team brimming with confidence

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 05, 2002

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Indian women's team brimming with confidence

By Vijay Lokapally

NEW DELHI JULY 4. The scorching sun is a huge challenge but the serene surroundings of the TERI Oval on the outskirts of Delhi probably provide just the setting the women cricketers would have asked for. The lush green outfield and well-prepared pitches are some consolation from the inimical weather conditions.

The enthusiasm among the Indian women cricketers is infectious. Even the ground staff sheds the comforts of the shady confines and engages itself in serving the teams needs. The pitches are rolled fine and kept ready and the supply of drinking water and refreshments is maintained with amazing zeal.

It is a conditioning camp with a difference. For more than a week, the women cricketers, all 15 of them, brave the heat and prepare themselves for a different kind of challenge in England where they play a tri-series involving New Zealand as the third team apart from a two-Test series against the home side. The Indian women will also visit Ireland for a five-match series to promote the game in that country.

They may not get to play at Lords, the `home of cricket, but the girls are excited at the very thought of touring England which offers enchanting playing conditions. Coach Tarak Sinha is in charge of a team, which has shown steady progress under his guidance. It is a job, which the coach has undertaken with a mission. The aim is to earn recognition for women's cricket.

Anjum Chopra is at the helm, keeping an eye on her mates even as she deals with other matters concerning the trip. She takes care no individual is ignored. "We've to keep going on and on. You can see there's no support for women's cricket. No one gives much thought to the fact that we too represent the country but I am so happy to tell you that each one of us is focused on carving a good future despite a difficult present, Anjum asserts.

The best thing about the women cricketers is that they all know their limitations. "For Gods sake please don't compare us with the men cricketers. Believe me, we don't play for awards, she insists.

True, the women's cricketers do not look for awards. They play because they like the sport. If individuals benefit from wearing the national cap like getting a job it brings a collective joy to the team. An Anjum getting a job gives hopes to a Sunita or an Anju and that is what keeps the girls going this desire to be recognised.

The women cricketers get little in terms of monetary benefits. It is a pity they fetch for themselves when it comes to raising pocket money for the tours and even essentials like kit and clothing. For this trip, Tarak Sinha uses his personal rapport with manufacturers like Vats Sports to get top quality kit for the team even as the Women's Cricket Association of India did its bit by roping in a sponsor for the tour. The WCAI, however, did not earn any marks for not one official visited the TERI Oval on the last day of the camp when the team sweat it out in unbearable heat.

India last toured England in 1999 when it won the one-day series 2-1 and drew the one-off Test. The tour to South Africa this year did boost the image of the Indian women's team. The one-off Test triumph was an achievement, India's first ever Test-win overseas. India's last home series with England saw Anjum and her team win all the three one-day matches even as the one-off Test ended in a draw. "We are confident of doing well, Anjum reflects the mood of the team. For good measure, the team will be accompanied by two women officials_former hockey international Fiona Fernandes (manager) and sports psychologist Jyoti Joshi (administrative manager).

On the penultimate day, with just 24 hours left for the team to take off, the coach is quite tough with the girls and the morning session spills beyond the prescribed four hours. But no one complains. In the evening, the team reports for one more session. This one is organised to oblige a few requests from the media where the humble Anjum takes care to project all the positive things of women's cricket an ideal ambassador for the sport indeed. For all her efforts, she may not leave with the team early Friday because the sponsor requires the presence of the captain at a media conference scheduled on the same day.

The camp brings the girls together and once again raises hopes in the eyes of Tarak Sinha. "There's lot of potential no doubt and we need to put it on the right course. I can say from my experience that this bunch is willing to learn fast and it augurs well for women's cricket in India. The WCAI is doing its best and we need to support it with some good performances. Only then will women's cricket gain recognition, says the coach who is credited with producing many international cricketers.

At the end of the session, Tarak Sinha announces "two more sessions tomorrow". The girls welcome the idea even as one of them jokingly enquires, "Sir, can we have the third under floodlights". They burst into laughter and the girls show no traces of fatigue of two gruelling training sessions. In fact, Tarak Sinha has to drive them off the field even as dusk descends on the TERI Oval.

* The team: Anjum Chopra (Captain), Mithali Raj (Vice-captain), Neetu David, Jhulan Goswami, Sunita Singh, Deepa Kulkarni, Bindeshwari Goel, Mamatha Maben, Jaya Sharma, Arundhati Kirkire, Hemlata Kala, Nooshin Al Khader, Sulakshana Naik, Sumetra Paranjpe and Amita Sharma; Mr. Tarak Sinha (coach); Ms. Fiona Fernandes (Manager); Ms. Jyoti Joshi (Administrative Manager).

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