Eves on a leather hunt

At a time when the Pakistani team was spanking the men in blue all around the country, the Women in Blue were scaling dizzy heights away from the blazing flashbulbs and adoration of the nation that swears by cricket. Leading the band of cricketers in South Africa during their Cup campaign was swashbuckling middle-order bat and captain Mitali Raj. The modest and yet iconic cricketer talks to TWF correspondent B Arindham about the exploits in World Cup and the lessons brought home.

The Timeless Derby The sharp shooter 90 minutes to soccer mainstream Soccer sulks A perfect swing! "Performance is the only mantra" ‘Delhi is a fertile virgin land for football’ The Bong connection Foreign remedy A ball and a bat India is not ready for World Cup yet Bend it like Jess Sport it like Beckham The disciplinarian Return of the silken assassin 'Satisfaction means death' Eves on a leather hunt Life's sweet spot Still a student of the game Such a long journey ‘Pillai is unfit for modern hockey' ‘Marriage will not change my football’ ‘Singles has always been my priority’ ‘Once people discover the charm of fast bowling, a trend develops’ ‘The coach is always in the line of fire’ ‘All athletes should be out competing now’

Were the conditions a problem? How did you adjust to it?
Most of us had been to South Africa before in 2002. So we knew how the wickets would behave and went five days ahead of the tournament to play some practice matches to get used to the wickets and the climate. When the tournament actually started all the girls were geared up and raring to go...

Which were the toughest games of the Cup? .
We could not underestimate any team as for the first time we had bonus points system. So it was not just winning, but also getting bonus points that could bail us out if needed in tough matches. Our toughest match was against the hosts-- South Africa. But we bundled them out for 82 and to got those runs in good time losing 6 wickets. The second match was against England and again we were chasing a total of 146 and were 36 for 3. Anjum and Rumeli Dhar played two gems in their knocks to get the team through..

Any match that went to the wire and personally gave you maximum satisfaction?
The semi-final match against New Zealand is the one. From the personal point of view I got the runs when my team needed it most. Though I missed out on my hundred, it gave me immense satisfaction. I performed and I am happy that I did not let them down….
…. I lost the toss and were put to bat first and lost two early wickets. The openers were back within ten overs. My main idea was to stay there till 30-35 overs so that I can get runs in the end with wickets in hand. I had valuable partnership with Anjum, Hemlatakala and Jhulan Goswami and got the team total to 204 for 6. I remained unbeaten on 91 runs of 108 balls….When their innings began, our bowlers put us on the top reducing the Kiwi frontline. They were 34 for 4 and their top order was back cooling their heels within 15 overs. This put pressure on the new batswoman Maria Fahey. She played a quality knock of 74 runs under pressure. Had she got someone to support her, it would have been difficult for us. But we kept her at one end and kept chipping away at the wickets at the other. In the end they lost by 40 runs. I give equal credit to my bowlers for bowling tight spells. Overall it was team performance which got us through to the final defeating the defending champions.

This was the first big tournament for you as a captain. How do you assess yourself?
It was definitely a big tournament for me as I was leading the country for the first time and a huge responsibility was on my shoulders. I always wanted to be a players' captain and wanted players to be comfortable under my captaincy. As two ex-captains were playing under me and a group of youngsters too, I tried to do a balancing act. I am happy that I never had any problem in dealing with this team. One of the main reasons is that each one of us knew their duties towards the team which made my job easy. The seniors were always backing me up, but I have a long way to go as a player and as a captain.

Did the home series against Australia help you in preparations? What were the other preparations you took?
The matches of the home series played against the Kiwis and the Aussies gave the team the exposure prior to the Cup and also in shaping the team and getting the right combinations. We also faced more of boys bowling at the nets to get used to the quickness and bounce so that it would be easy to play on South African wickets.

Who do you think are the lynchpins in your team?
The responsibility of holding the batting together was definitely on my shoulders. But there were others who have performed well when I have failed to score. Anju Jain (an experienced opening batswoman and one of the best wicket keepers) Anjum Chopra (stylish left hand bat comes no 3) Hemlatakala and Rumeli Dhar, who managed the middle order. I came in at No 4. Coming to bowling, spinners have always been the trump cards of the Indians. Neetu David(left arm spinner), Nooshin al Khadeer (off spinner) did a good job. We also have pacers who have done a good job giving the team early breakthroughs. Jhulan Goswami and Amitha Sharma(both right arm medium pacers). In fact in the top 5 bowling statistics four slot went to the Indians. That proves our bowling is good even on fast and bouncy tracks in South Africa.

Which are the departments where the team needs to improve fast? Any specialist position that is not being served adequately…
We need to improve the running between the wickets and fielding. These two areas we need to work real hard..

What have been the highlights of your career?
The highlights of my career are the world record of 214 runs scored against England in England in 2002. I was ranked no.1 in the world in batting in 2003 and got the Arjuna Award in 2004. The Castrol Award for excellence in cricket in 2002 was yet another high. But the biggest of them all was being appointed as captain for the World Cup squad in 2005.

What kind of support do you seek from the federation?
WCAI has been conducting camps in Madras every year exclusively for fitness which gave the girls the confidence in fielding. We have sent spinners to the spin academy and the pacers to the MRF bowling academy in Chennai to gain experience and get finer tips which were very helpful. The WCAI is trying its best to give the players maximum exposure in the international level by conducting home series and we as players are making the most of these facilities...

Any benefit coming in terms of money, sponsors or otherwise?
I am glad that Sahara has come forward to sponsor the Indian Team for three years. It's a good sign. Hopefully things will improve for Womens' Cricket in India soon.

The team's coming engagements…
As of now England is coming down in December for a home series and we tour Australia and New Zealand next year in Feb-Mar. Our domestic season will be starting from June first week. From now on whatever matches or series we play will be very important because we have set a standard for ourselves as World No.2. We have to live up to our reputation and people's expectations. So we have to put double the hard work and as couple of players will be retiring soon. Building the team for the next World Cup will also begin simultaneously.