Commonwealth Games 2022

Renewed Spirit Fuels India’s Admirable Run To Commonwealth Games Silver

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Featuring in the Commonwealth Games for the first time, the Women in Blue almost put theory into practice as the team reached the final of the event, before going down to Australia by nine runs.
Murmurs of trade and communicate of a brand new direction may be heard at the bengaluru campus of the national cricket academy in the month of june as the indian women’s team tried to discover its ft after the retirement of its conflict-worn leader, Mithali Raj.

Because the vintage guard gave way to the new, the cricketers huddled together to talk about a brand new, bolder approach — one that might help them deal with crunch conditions. With a month left for the commonwealth games, the gamers knew that they needed a stable approach.

They mentioned a few factors of the game with V. V. S. Laxman, the nca director and one of india’s legendary batters, after which on a groovy and rainy june evening, they determined to have a meeting. It became extra of an impromptu affair, with the coaches and the help personnel staying away.

Unlike everyday conferences, Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain, did now not start the conversation. Rather, she asked the younger individuals of the group to set a roadmap for the destiny. By using then, the gamers had some days of training on the nca and that they knew that beforehand of a packed global calendar, a variety of modifications have been wanted.

The scars of the world cup defeat had been nevertheless fresh and soon after the assembly commenced, the gamers unanimously agreed that going forward, clarity of roles will be the key.

Whilst seniors — harmanpreet and Smriti Mandhana — listened in, pooja vastrakar raised her hand and said that the team lacked ‘killer intuition’ and it become essential to play competitive cricket, even in tricky conditions.

As vastrakar explained the need for aggressiveness on the sphere, the crew set itself a goal — to work at the vulnerable hyperlinks and make sure  darna nahi hai (not to be afraid). “in advance, the seniors could generally recommend the crew on a way to address various conditions. But now, it became excellent to peer the youngsters taking the onus and developing with plans,” harmanpreet said.

By using the stop of the meeting, the group knew what it needed to do at the tour of sri lanka and at the commonwealth video games. And, it changed into decided that over the following few days, after every education session, the crew would spend time making ready a plan to play firebrand cricket. “each time we might teach or exercise, we might try to create that  mahaul (environment),” harmanpreet stated, adding, “we keep speaking about that killer intuition and we’re constantly working on that…”

Offering inside the commonwealth games for the first time, the women in blue nearly positioned concept into exercise because the group reached the very last of the occasion, before taking place to australia by means of 9 runs.

After proscribing australia to 161 for eight, india lost openers mandhana and shafali verma early, but a 96-run stand among captain harmanpreet and jemimah rodrigues put india in command. But, a precipitous collapse saw the team lose eight wickets for just 34 runs as the center-order and the tail crumbled beneath stress.

It became heartbreak for the indian fans with another defeat within the final. The fearless logo of cricket that was on show until the semifinal towards england, went out of the window. Some selections — in particular concussion alternative yastika bhatia being sent in to bat at no. 8 while wickets were tumbling — have been baffling. As jemimah and harmanpreet fell in quick succession, there was no plan b from the choice-makers on how to near the game.

All those errors harm india ultimately.

As meg lanning & co. Celebrated their gold medal victory, indian fans looked for a silver lining. Folks that comply with the sport carefully consider that no matter a defeat within the final, there are a few positives for india to take home.

“for quite some time, the players have been talking about improving fielding. In the cwg, it was clear that they had labored quite tough on that. A number of the catches that we took had been first-rate. In a format like this, health performs a key role and i genuinely sense that the efforts are showing on the sector,” hemlata kala, former chairperson of the countrywide selection committee, told  sportstar.

Kala become the head of the national choice committee whilst india reached the finals within the 2017 international cup and the t20 international cup in 2020. Having seen the group come a long way, the former india worldwide believes that while it’s miles critical to have a look at the positives, the crew needs to give you a plan to make certain that it doesn’t falter within the final.

“in advance, our common score might be anywhere between 125-one hundred thirty, however now, we are always going at around 160, that’s a nice signal. However the predominant factor is we need to recognition on winning the big suits — just like the very last. The gamers want to head again and assume why they are being defeated in each very last. That’s the major question we need to cope with,” kala stated. “we are getting in the direction of achieving achievement, however for that we ought to understand why we are not able to win big video games…”

Yet another ‘so-close to-but-so-some distance’ second within the very last proved that there is a need to regroup, assume the positives and work at the vulnerable hyperlinks.

In his lengthy and illustrious profession because the india captain, ganguly had realised that there, certainly, had been many a slip between the cup and the lip — possibly the biggest of them all become the 2003 international cup very last in opposition to australia.

In that match, ganguly’s guys had misplaced simplest two video games — both in opposition to australia and that final afternoon at wanderers became a heartbreak for indian cricket. However in a manner, it additionally set a roadmap for the destiny of indian cricket. Youngsters got here in, the crew went via transition and it took just 4 extra years to clinch a global t20 and ultimately the sector cup in 2011.

Further, for the ladies in blue, too, this cwg will be an eye fixed-opener. The continuous choking of the middle-order, backing the proper gamers and most significantly, lengthy-term planning are some of the areas that need to be labored on. However the query stays whether the team is inclined to cope with the elephant within the room.

“the cwg has proven us that we have advanced a lot inside the fielding department, but it is a must to paintings on our procedures. The team wishes to analyse in which it’s far going incorrect in terms of techniques inside the massive games, which ultimately is hurting,” v. R. Vanitha, a former india international, stated.

“that is perhaps the quality group we had fielded and it played absolutely nicely for the duration of, however losing another very last hurts. It’s miles important to paintings on the finer information and make certain that you paintings on those factors and plan your recreation hence. Having an extended-term plan, giving longer ropes to players is the important thing,” she said.

A large phase of the fans believe that the lack of girls’s ipl is hurting the group as numerous players are green. But vanitha does not accept as true with that only wipl may want to clear up the troubles. “the home structure needs to be extra vibrant and there ought to be greater recreation time for gamers, because the more you play, the faster you research out of your mistakes,” vanitha stated. “lots earlier than the ipl passed off, men’s cricket thrived because of a solid home set-up and ipl handiest better it. Similarly, inquiring for a wipl gained’t be the most effective answer. We need more recreation time…”

“study the guys’s team, they could put behind a a defeat and are available again stronger quickly due to the fact they play regularly and might work on the mistakes. For the women’s team too, extra education and sport time is the need of the hour…”

Shah toured with the indian group as a countrywide selector while it reached the very last of the t20 world cup in australia  years in the past. Having visible the gamers intently, she admits that expectations have been excessive from the crew after that charming win in opposition to england. “there had been a few positives. With renuka (singh thakur) enhancing so much, i think now she needs a good fast-bowling accomplice from the alternative stop. Even jemimah stamped her magnificence, so there may be masses to look forward to,” she stated.

Inside the ultimate 5 years, india reached the very last of  icc ladies’s occasions, but did not clinch the identify on each activities.

Nowadays, the indian gamers regularly speak of imbibing the australian fighting spirit on the sector. Perhaps the defeat inside the final could allow harmanpreet & co. To sit returned and ask themselves a few extreme questions on what they need to gain inside the coming years, due to the fact because the adage goes. Read More Women’s Cricket News….

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