Smriti Mandhana’s smile was broader than Shafali Verma’s.
But it was Shafali who scored a hundred — a sensational hundred it was, too — against Bangladesh in the semifinal of women’s cricket in the Asian Games at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Sunday. And Smriti wasn’t there in her usual place, the non-striker’s end, while Shafali bats. She was in the dugout.
Smriti rose from her seat and applauded, along with her Indian teammates. Shafali had just scored a single off Shorna Akter through the off-side. It was the last ball of the Indian innings. She took off her helmet, was hugged by her partner Bharti Fulmali, and raised her bat, acknowledging the cheers.
The reaction of Smriti and the other Indian players said how much the innings meant for them, as much as it did for Shafali. This was her maiden hundred in white-ball cricket. Surely, there should be many more. She is just 22, though she has been around for a long time, having made her Indian debut seven years ago.
Shefali Verma’s all-round show went a long way in India retaining the gold.
| Photo Credit:
R.V. MOORTHY
Shafali’s unbeaten 100 off 49 balls would sum up how the Women in Blue played their cricket over the last three weeks in two tournaments – the Asian Cup in Dubai and then the Asian Games. They were totally dominant and utterly ruthless just as Shafali was against those hapless and helpless Bangladesh bowlers.
Chasing India’s formidable total of 195 for four, which was built on a 72-run opening wicket stand between Shafali and Smriti (37 off 19 balls), its eastern neighbour was dismissed for 81. Harmanpreet Kaur’s women thus won by 114 runs. That is some margin indeed for a T20I match.
Two days later, though, Bangladesh was made to feel better by Sri Lanka. India won Tuesday’s final by 147 runs, a victory that also gave the country its first gold at this Asian Games.
Once again, the classy Indian batting line-up had batted the Lankans out of the final. After Smriti and Shafali added 99 for the first wicket in just 10 overs, Richa Ghosh reminded everyone why she is regarded as one of the most feared finishers in the women’s game.
For all the brilliance of captain Chamari Athapaththu, the islanders were not going to reach anywhere near India’s 216 for three. They didn’t. They, in fact, could not even make as many runs as Smriti alone did. They were bowled out for 69, with the Indian spinners sharing the spoils.
Spinning success
Shree Charani has been leading India’s formidable spin attack with aplomb. The 22-year-old left-arm spinner has been a revelation since she made her international debut last year. She is the No. 1 bowler in T20Is, and she also became the first Indian woman to touch ICC’s 800-point mark. With age on her side, she should serve the team for long.
So would seamer Kranti Gaud. She is only a year older than Shree Charani. India is lucky that two of its strike bowlers are so young.
Kranti may not have taken that many wickets at the Asia Cup or the Asian Games. But she is a champion bowler, as she showed in the historic Test against England at Lord’s just a couple of months ago. She had made history on her own too, becoming the first woman to make it to the honours board at Lord’s thanks to her brilliant five-wicket spell in the England first innings.
Kranti is a special talent, and India isn’t blessed with as many quality options in pace as it is in spin. So the way Nandani Sharma has bowled at the Asian Cup and the Asian Games should gladden the team management. She is a clever, wicket-taking bowler and offers plenty of promise. Her return catch off Nahida Akter in the semifinal against Bangladesh, in fact, was one of the moments of the women’s cricket at the Asian Games.
The Indian attack has, of late, benefited from the trust Harmanpreet has in Shafali’s bowling. She picked up two wickets each in both the matches that she was given a ball at the Asian Games. The competitive cricketer she is, she relishes her new role. One recalls how proudly and happily she declared, while answering a question at a press conference during the T20 World Cup in England, that she saw herself as an all-rounder. If she continues to bowl the way she does, the rest of the world might also view her as one, one day.
The world has no doubt about her batting, though. Ever since she came back into the Indian team as a replacement during the ODI World Cup, she has been marvellous. She bats with fearlessness and freedom. She can destroy an attack in no time. And with Smriti often batting at the other end, the bowlers are in an unenviable space. How fortunate India is to have such a delightful, and effective, pair at the top of the order.
They have shown at the Asian Cup and the Asian Games how crucial they are to India’s fortunes. As has Deepti Sharma, the champion all-rounder.
The captain has marshalled her forces well, too. Yes, there had been noise around her captaincy, but that seemed to have little effect on her.
Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur have played a big role in India becoming a dominant force.
| Photo Credit:
File photo: R.V MOORTHY
Harmanpreet must have enjoyed leading her side to victory in two back-to-back tournaments. After the disappointment at the T20 World Cup, where India failed to reach the semifinals despite starting out as one of the favourites, she, and her women, needed these titles.
They proved they were the queens of Asian cricket. And they did it in such an emphatic fashion.
“Before the tournament, we talked a lot about staying unbeaten, but more importantly, about playing to the high standards we set for ourselves,” the skipper said after winning the gold at the Asian Games. “It is so satisfying to see everyone approach every game with such a positive mindset. Every single player who got an opportunity stepped up and delivered solid performances.
“As a captain and as a collective, that is exactly what we were looking for. Maintaining an unbeaten run while consistently putting in quality performances is what we expected of ourselves. It is great to see everyone execute that vision with confidence. Our bowling unit deserves special credit because we put a tremendous amount of work into it. Young bowlers like Kranti and Nandani took on massive responsibilities, and the way they responded, especially with their spells in the power-play, was outstanding.”
Match-winners
Harmanpreet also praised the efforts of Deepti and Shreyanka Patil, who was returning to the team after her T20 World Cup was cut short by injury. “Shreyanka and Deepti are consistent match-winners,” she said. and always among the leading wicket-takers. The balance between experience and fresh talent was spot on in our team, and everyone delivered when it mattered.”
India certainly got just about everything right in Dubai and Nisshin.
The gulf between India and the other teams is as big as the margin of the victories. And it may take a while before Sri Lanka or Bangladesh could bridge that gap. That shouldn’t be surprising at all, given the resources, in human as well as finance, that India has.
The Women in Blue deserve to bask in their glory now. But, they still need to work on their T20 game. Tougher challenges await, from stronger sides outside the continent. They have to be ready for the likes of Australia, England and South Africa at the Champions Trophy, to be held at home next February.
