While the Indian men’s team were getting thrashed in English conditions in a five-match Test series, the women’s team was creating history in the same conditions, against the same country.
Skipper Mithali Raj’s Indian side went to England with little hope of winning.
With just two players including her and Jhulan Goswami having prior experience, she led a side consisting of debutant to an emphatic victory over England in a well-contested Test match.
“As a captain, I did not want to put pressure on my players. I told them to play their natural game as such an opportunity might never come again, especially in women’s cricket,” Raj told Sport360.
On what the tour meant to the team and Indian women’s cricket in general, she maintained that such chances are rare and they are precious to every player.
“It was a big tour for us because I was leading a very inexperienced side. And for any cricketer, performing at the highest level – the Tests – is the biggest goal,” she says, adding that most of the players had no prior experience of the longer format even at the domestic level.
The 31-year-old, who has over 4,800 runs in 150 one days for India, stressed the need for more Tests and two-day games at the domestic level.
“The win will do a lot of good for the young players and will instill confidence in them. It is a matter of exposure. The BCCI has to take an initiative to organise two-day matches in domestic cricket because that is where we can produce quality players.” Raj argued.
The Indian skipper, who is better known for her humility was quick to play down comparisons with the Indian men’s team, that had one of the worst defeats in their series against England.
Raj added: “It is a fact that the men’s team plays more cricket than us, but I would like to draw no comparisons between our win and their loss.”
