Mithali Raj may just have done more for Indian women’s cricketwith one innings than several others have in a lifetime

Anand Vasu17-Aug-2002Mithali Raj may just have done more for Indian women’s cricketwith one innings than several others have in a lifetime. Scoring214 in the second and final Test against England, the 19-year-oldnow holds the record for the highest individual score in Women’sTest cricket.This is, however, not the first time an Indian has held thisrecord. When Sandhya Agarwal made 190 in the third Test againstEngland at Manchester in 1986, it was a moment deserving ofcelebration in India. The highest score in women’s Test crickethad just been scored by an Indian, beating the 189 made by BettySnowball.The joy of Indian fans and the pride of the Women’s CricketAssociation of India were short-lived, however, as Denise Annetsof Australia made 194 in the following year in a Test againstEngland. Several former Indian players mischievously whisper,half jocularly, that the English bowlers perhaps did not trytheir best to dismiss Annetts as she approached Agarwal’s mark.Agarwal and that little tale apart, Mithali has inscribed hername in the record-books with little controversy. A player ofimmense talent, Raj has consistently impressed observers who haveseen her play at all levels. Beginning to play serious cricketwhen she was just nine, when her father started to coach her,Mithali constantly played her cricket against women both olderand more accomplished than her. Perhaps it is this that has madeher mature beyond her years.A shy girl off the field, Mithali stays away from most pressconferences and interviews, preferring to let her bat do thetalking. But that is hardly unusual for someone from Hyderabad. Aplace, they say, can shape a person. and Hyderabad has producedsome of the most stylish batsmen in Indian cricket history. FromML Jaisimha to Mohammad Azharuddin, every cricketer from thatcity has wielded the willow more with skill and flair than rawpower. A slightly built girl, Mithali is no different. Using thepace of the bowler to great effect, Mithali is more likely totime the ball through the gaps rather than thump it past thefielder.Those who have watched her bat are not in the least surprised byher success. Sudha Shah, former Indian captain and coach,stressed on Mithali’s ability to keep a cool head. “From the timeI first saw her bat, when she was about 10 years old, I’ve saidthis girl will go places. She makes batting look so easy,” saidShah. As coach, Shah has worked extensively with Mithali and hasalways believed that the middle-order bat would go far.”She’s cool-headed and quite mature for her age. Don’t be fooledby the fact that she’s 19,” added Shah. Coach of the Indian teamthat played the CricInfo Women’s World Cup in New Zealand, Shahfelt Mithali’s illness greatly hampered India’s progress in thattournament. “If she had been fit and played every match, I thinkIndia would have done much better. She’s a thinking cricketer andnever lets the pressure get to her,” explained Shah. Laid lowwith a rare strain of typhoid, Mithali missed most of the WorldCup, only able to watch as India made it to the semi-finalsbefore losing to eventual champions New Zealand.Mithali’s captain at the domestic level, GS Lakshmi, who hasprobably seen more of her than anyone else, was delighted to hearthe news of Mithali’s big score. “I’m extremely happy to hearthis. I believed she was the best bat India has produced sinceRajni Venugopal, but now I think she has surpassed even her,”said Lakshmi from her residence in Hyderabad.”She’s so young and yet so mature, and as captain I expect a lotfrom her. I would say this is a great achievement, but believeme, she has a long way to go and will be one of India’s leadingcricketers,” said an obviously proud skipper. Even in domesticcricket, Mithali has been in great form of late, scoring anunbeaten 99 in the final of a tournament against Air India, oneof the strongest sides around.Lakshmi remembers that innings, and many more like it, withclarity. “It would be wrong to pinpoint just one innings of hers.She has won so many matches for us at Railways and previously forother teams too. The best thing about her is the way she picksherself up after a failure. As captain, you know that a big knockis always round the corner. Even if she fails in two or threegames, she’ll come good,” explained Lakshmi. “And you also knowwhat, when wickets fall early at one end, she relishes thechallenge. Mithali is not one to let her partner do all the work.She rotates the strike well and will score at a good rate.”At this very moment, though, Mithali will not be too worriedabout the rate at which she is scoring. In just her fourth Testinnings, and with 0, 55, 9 not out being her previous scores, shehas arrived on the world scene in dramatic fashion. Now she cansit back and savour the moment.