Mithali Raj: The emblem of relentless pursuit for unmatched excellence in women’s cricket

Mithali Raj… stalwart of women’s cricket in India © AFP

By Bharath Ramaraj

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The Taunton cricket ground in England nestles against the spectacular backdrop of Tone river. When the sky seems like a continual expanse of blue, the picturesque cricket ground makes for a stunningly beautiful place to watch a game of cricket.

A little more than a decade ago, a prodigiously young talented batswoman all of just 19 years in Mithali Raj lit up the scenic Taunton cricket ground with a fabulous double hundred. By showcasing exemplary prowess of adhesion and unequivocal self-belief, she even broke the world record for the highest individual score in Test cricket set by Karen Rolton of Australia — since then, the record has been broken by Kiran Baluch from Pakistan.

With mountains of runs to her credit in international cricket for being an exemplary leader, Mithali belongs to the top echelons of the game. Her game is like a breath of fresh air, as she relies on precise timing and exquisite placement. With an amalgam of iron-clad technique and fortitude, she has conquered innumerable challenges that have come in her way. Yet, in a country where the men’s national cricket team is literally worshipped with great devotion, there are no takers for women’s team.

Mithali’s prowess can be best exemplified by her stupendous efforts on the tour of England in 2012. In the first one-day match on the hallowed turf of Lord’s cricket ground, her dexterity with the willow in hand soared to stunning heights.

While chasing a daunting target of 230 runs set by England, the inexperienced Indian batting line-up needed its star batswoman to stand up and be counted. In what turned out to be a roller-coaster of a match, Mithali, with equanimity and a touch of calm countenance, anchored a remarkable turnaround to take India to a nerve-wracking victory.

In an innings made up of pristine drives and lissom flicks, mainly on the front-foot, Mithali didn’t seem to hit even a single shot in brute force. By presenting a solid and straight blade, she resisted Katherine Brunt’s pace and seam movement as well as the wily off-spinner, Laura Marsh’s box of tricks. Her fluidity, balance and nimble wrists at the crease floored England that day. In short, her innings was an epitome of near perfection.

The ultra-consistent performer has also done a great service for her country in various World Cups. In the 2004-05 World Cup held in South Africa, Mithali shepherded India to victory after set a challenging target by formidable New Zealand in the semi-final.

Unfortunately for India, they were steamrolled by the marauding Aussies in the final of 2004-05 World Cup. To make it worse for keen cricket enthusiasts, the final of the World Cup wasn’t shown live in India.

Even in 2008-09 World Cup held in Australia, it was Mithali’s brilliance that time and again shored up India’s batting in trying circumstances. In their crucial encounter against pre-tournament favourites and eventual champions, England, she was the only player who put up a good show to take her team to a semblance of respectability. It is the relentless pursuit for unmatched excellence that stands out the most in her game.

In the latest edition of the World Cup held this year in India, Mithali must have been crestfallen, as India couldn’t progress beyond the group stages of the tournament on home soil. Even she flopped miserably in crucial games against England and Sri Lanka, respectively. In spite of that major setback in her career, she still has that unflinching desire and vigour to contribute to the Indian team.

The sad part about women’s cricket in India is that these days, they don’t get a chance to play even a single test match. The last time India played a Test match was way back in 2006 against England in the Old Blighty. So, the chances of watching Raj’s mystical magic in full flow in the longer format of the game is tragically only a remote possibility.

In fact, the complete apathy shown by the Indian board towards the women’s World Cup held in India this year exemplifies that India still have a long way to go before one can say women cricketers are respected in our nation. It is certainly not the case in countries like Australia and England, as women cricketers are recognised for their glittering achievements.

It is high time that in a nation where many believe cricket is nothing short of a religion, an effort should be made to at least recognise the stalwarts of women’s cricket like Mithali Raj for their laudable achievements in the wonderful game of cricket.

(Bharath Ramaraj, an MBA in marketing, eats, drinks and sleeps cricket. He has played at school and college-level, and now channelises his passion for the game by writing about it)