Exclusive: "I would like if people remember me as Mithali Raj"
India's premier batswoman and captain Mithali Raj is a legend. Our women's cricket correspondent Juili Ballal who is also a former cricketer, met Mithali recently. Here are some quotes from their chat as we analyse her career in depth.
Born on 3rd December 1982 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, little did she know what she was heading for. Mithali Raj was brought up in Hyderabad where she started playing cricket at the tender age of 10. Just after seven years, she was picked for the Indian team.
Mithali Raj at 19 emerged as one of India's most capable batswomen with a staggering 214 against England in the second and final Test at Taunton in August 2002. The middle-order bat now has the second highest score in women's Test cricket, having been surpassed by Kiran Baluch who scored 242 against West Indies in March 2004.
Raj has grasped every opportunity she has been presented with and impressed. Coming to the wicket at times when batting is difficult, Mithali has shown an ability to soldier on without being perturbed. Apart from being a brilliant batswoman, she is also a great leader on the field.
She has led India to its first World Cup final in 2005, in South Africa, where they met Australia who proved just too strong. In August 2006, she led the side to their first-ever Test and series victory in England and wrapped up the year winning the Asia Cup the second time in 12 months without dropping a single game.
“Playing for India was never thought of. It just happened. Everything went so quickly that with a wink of an eye I was donning the Indian colours”
This statement came when in an conversation when I recently met her.
Her ODI debut was against Ireland at Milton Keynes in the year 1999 and her Test debut was against England women in 2002.
Playing for Railways in the domestic competition, Mithali began by playing with stars like Purnima Rau, Anjum Chopra and Anju Jain for Air India. She emerged as one of India's most dependable bats, scoring heavily in both one-dayers and Tests. Her composure when at the crease and ability to score briskly make her a dangerous customer. In addition to her ability with the bat, Raj rolls her arm over bowling leg-spinners and providing variety to any attack.
Playing for Railways in the domestic competition, Mithali began by playing with stars like Purnima Rau, Anjum Chopra and Anju Jain for Air India. She emerged as one of India's most dependable bats, scoring heavily in both one-dayers and Tests. Her composure when at the crease and ability to score briskly make her a dangerous customer. In addition to her ability with the bat, Raj rolls her arm over bowling leg-spinners and providing variety to any attack.
“I used to be a medium pace bowler, but gradually as I started concentrating on my batting more, medium pace took a back seat”
Mithali Raj at 19 emerged as one of India's most capable batswomen with a staggering 214 against England in the second and final Test at Taunton in August 2002. The middle-order bat now has the second highest score in women's Test cricket, having been surpassed by Kiran Baluch who scored 242 against West Indies in March 2004.
Raj has grasped every opportunity she has been presented with and impressed. Coming to the wicket at times when batting is difficult, Mithali has shown an ability to soldier on without being perturbed. Apart from being a brilliant batswoman, she is also a great leader on the field.
 |
| Image Courtesy: ESPNCricinfo |
She has led India to its first World Cup final in 2005, in South Africa, where they met Australia who proved just too strong. In August 2006, she led the side to their first-ever Test and series victory in England and wrapped up the year winning the Asia Cup the second time in 12 months without dropping a single game.
In May 2008, she led India to their fourth successive Asia Cup title. India has not dropped a single game in the tournament since it began in 2004. But a poor tour of England later that year, where India failed to win a single game, led her to give up her captaincy.
She was back in charge for the England tour of 2012. Under her able captaincy, India surprised the strong England team with a thumping victory in the one-off Test that was played at Wormsley, England in August 2014, where India took the field with eight debutants.
After scoring over 5000 runs in one day international cricket, Raj became the all-time highest run getter for India and second highest in the world behind the England skipper Charlotte Edwards (5885 runs in 188 matches). She is often called as 'Lady Sachin'.
“I feel honoured on being called Lady Sachin however I would like if people remember me as Mithali Raj”
After scoring over 5000 runs in one day international cricket, Raj became the all-time highest run getter for India and second highest in the world behind the England skipper Charlotte Edwards (5885 runs in 188 matches). She is often called as 'Lady Sachin'.
“Our country should encourage its girls to take up cricket as a career. The BCCI has hit the right chord by providing central contracts to the women cricketers”
An inspiration for budding and young women cricketers, Mithali has to her name Arjuna award in recognition of her achievement in sports in 2003 and Padma Shri award, India's fourth highest civilian award that was conferred on her in 2015. Not only that, but in 2015 she became the first woman cricketer to achieve the 'Wisden India Cricketer of the Year'.
We hope she continues like this and brings India more glory in the coming years.
We hope she continues like this and brings India more glory in the coming years.
Exclusive: "I would like if people remember me as Mithali Raj"
Reviewed by Juili Ballal
on
16:04:00
Rating:
Reviewed by Juili Ballal
on
16:04:00
Rating:
No comments: