Boria Majumdar
I write this with India Women just having won their first World Cup game against Sri Lanka. While it was a modest start at best, in normal circumstances, a tricky game against Sri Lanka would have helped India get into groove. Pakistan, the next opponent, aren’t a serious challenger, and India would have experimented with a series of tough games to follow. Not now. Not anymore.
The India-Pakistan game in Colombo will not be another cricket match. It will be a continuation of the Asia Cup, and the only thing that changes is the gender. From men to women – that’s the only change. There will be no handshakes, lots of off-field drama and – under the influence of Mohsin Naqvi – on-field antics can’t be ruled out either. Pakistan will do all they can to draw attention with these antics, and yet again, India will just want to get the job done before speaking up.
On the field, India are miles ahead. Much like the men, the women will win even if they play to 80 percent of their potential. In what is a home World Cup, it will be interesting to see how Colombo, as a neutral venue, takes to this encounter. But what will also be important is how ruthless India are. Every game against Pakistan will have extra cricketing considerations attached, and this one will be no different. Every action will be under the scanner, and it is essential that Harmanpreet Kaur speaks to her teammates to just focus on the job at hand. ‘They talk, we win’ should be the mantra, and there is no need for any unnecessary words.
The men’s game in the country became what it is at the back of two of Indian cricket’s greatest triumphs. The 1983 World Cup win transformed the sport into a national obsession of sorts, and within a decade, corporate investment in men’s cricket had become the norm. Thereafter, the 2007 T20 World Cup win paved the way for the IPL to take off, and how. Sport always goes hand in hand with nationalism, and these victories managed to unify fans behind the sport. The 2011 World Cup win added to it, and the men’s game has not looked back.
For the women, however, an ICC trophy win is a dire need. There are enough and more facilities on offer, and the players have enough going for them at the moment. Crushing Pakistan would indeed be a nice step on the way. While qualitatively, Pakistan may not be a serious opponent, everything around the game will attract global attention, and it will indeed be a high-profile one. With millions watching, this is a chance for Harman, Smriti and the lot to make a strong case.
Even those who don’t follow the sport will watch this game, and a win will mean the sport gains in currency. Finally, with the Pakistan players seemingly obsessed with numbers – one of them showed off a 6-0 gesture a few days ago – an Indian win would make it 12-0 in ODIs against Pakistan. That statistic is in itself worth playing for, and suffice to say, a win against Pakistan in Colombo would be the perfect Dussehra present for millions of cricket fans back home.
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