Heads of presidency and sports activities groups have the luxurious of a ‘honeymoon period’ when there is higher tolerance of failure, and the media (and public) will not be as harsh on them as they may in any other case be. The Indian women’s cricket workforce – a splendidly proficient bunch – has had an prolonged honeymoon interval, their particular person and collective achievements highlighted and their apparent drawbacks glossed over.
In the latter class are health points and their impression on the subject of play. India’s working between wickets in the latest World T20 was abysmal as was their catching. India made too many basic errors like not working the first run quick and never grounding the bat and sliding it into the crease. When skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was run out after an excellent innings that seemed like taking India dwelling, she put it down to dangerous luck as her bat received caught on the turf.
Not dangerous luck
It was not dangerous luck. It was poor coaching, poor health, poor match consciousness. Her opponent Alyssa Healy stated she “cruised back (for the second run) and probably could have gone past the crease an extra two metres if she put in the effort.”
That Harmanpreet nearly walked from hospital to play the match is commendable, however health for the workforce as a complete was an issue all through the match.
When Ellyse Perry dived close to the boundary line, and in a single motion each prevented the ball from going over and flicked it in direction of a colleague, she confirmed up India’s fielding. India dropped three catches — maybe taking part in the fitter, extra centered Australian ladies shone a sharper mild on the weaknesses in India’s recreation.
Indian women’s cricket has reached a stage the place “Tough luck, ladies,” no longer cuts it. “Why did this happen? Where were the coaches? Why weren’t the obvious problems noticed earlier and corrected?” are the extra helpful responses. There has to be accountability. It is no longer politically incorrect to criticise the Indian women’s cricket workforce!
Cracking the whip
There are essential classes for India from this defeat. Former participant Diana Edulji has spoken of cracking the whip (she put it extra colourfully, saying, “they need absolute danda”). She has identified that it is time for a completely skilled assist workforce, and never essentially one borrowed from the National Cricket Academy. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is pumping cash into women’s cricket, and followers deserve professionalism on and off the subject.
There was some extent when Harmanpreet and Jemimah have been batting collectively in opposition to Australia when the run charge was 9.3, a complete run forward of the required charge. To chase 172 with such confidence and aptitude speaks of a world class workforce, however not essentially a champion workforce. Champion groups don’t suppose that luck performs such an essential function. Champion groups counter unluck with professionalism and higher concentrate on successful. Like Australia did.
There is too a superficially enticing idea in T20 cricket that decreasing the variety of dot-balls is someway essential. We shouldn’t have so many dot-balls when batting, stated the skipper after shedding to England the place the Indian batters had 51 of them. But this is a false connection. Australia had 49 dot-balls in the closing the place they beat South Africa. When you lose a match by 5 runs as India did in the semifinal in opposition to Australia, the might-have-beens are incalculable.
It is not the variety of dot-balls that matter, however what number of you rating of the non-dot ones (you could possibly end with a complete of 120, for instance, with out a single dot ball).
Iron out the snags
With the arrival of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) this week, India’s gamers get an opportunity to iron out a few of their snags whereas taking part in alongside the greatest gamers from round the world. This, even when the males haven’t received a World T20 after the IPL started 14 years in the past.
A fast calculation exhibits that the eleven ladies who performed the World T20 semifinal attracted ₹18.65 crore at the WPL public sale; add Pooja Vastrakar to that checklist and the earnings prime ₹20 crore. That can work each methods. Either it may possibly tighten the women’s particular person video games, making every participant aware of her accountability in direction of health and teamwork, or it may possibly lead to a scenario the place the prime gamers are simply glad and neglect that what you earn is straight associated to the way you carry out.
At any charge, there are fascinating days forward. The honeymoon interval is positively over.
