It finished 3-0 to Australia, and there was a kind of inevitability to it. It was as if it was expected, and nothing could be done about it. That’s where the problem lies. In the sense of resignation. The despondency. Despite the magical Arundhati Reddy spell, the match was lost. Reddy bowled four special balls to get rid of Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll, Beth Mooney and Ellyse Perry, and yet her teammates did not get much motivation from that. That’s where, as supporters of the women’s game, you tend to feel deflated. At the lack of accountability. At the lame excuses given by Amol Muzumdar, each time that he has attended a press conference. With the World Cup less than a year away, the women’s game needs an infusion of oxygen, and the time is now.
After losing ten straight games, New Zealand went on to win the T20 World Cup. It is indeed possible and that’s what India need to take heart from. In sport, it is never say never. But to script a turnaround, there has to be intent. A bilateral series win against New Zealand can’t be used to mask the deficiencies, and the index has to be performances against Australia or England. You need to beat these two teams and aspire to do so consistently. The sport is lopsided, and unless you are able to compete with the top teams, there’s nothing much to write home about.
Take the case of Titas Sadhu. She was back in the team after months and bowled first change in the first game when India were defending a mere 100. No bowler had much to do in that game, and Titas was benched for the second match of the series. For the record, Australia scored 371/8 batting first. In the third game, she was back again and bowled extremely well in tandem with Arundhati.
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We can also question why Tejal Hasabnis was not played. She has been stellar in domestic cricket, and while there’s nothing against Harleen Deol, one wonders why Tejal was not given an opportunity.
No consistency in selection, no real planning that can stand up to scrutiny and, finally, unimaginative captaincy explains where India’s women’s cricket stands at the moment. Harmanpreet Kaur has not won anything in years, and her own batting form has been patchy. Yes, she scored runs in the T20 World Cup, but scoring in a lost cause has never really mattered in a team sport. As leader, she has to win something tangible. And the truth is, she hasn’t. Under pressure, she has looked devoid of ideas, impacting the morale and body language of the team.
Will the selectors take a bold call and remove Harman, or will they play defensive and let things continue as they are? Can Harman lead India to a world title at home and make amends? Can Muzumdar finally make a difference? As we look ahead to another series at home a week from now, the sport has too many unanswered questions staring at us. The truth is, there are no real answers and Indian women’s cricket, at the end of 2024, has taken a backward step.
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