Can she just be called ‘Mithali Raj of Indian cricket’?

Mithali Raj

Back in December 2017, this columnist got the opportunity to interview the all format captain of India's women's cricket team - Mithali Raj. I was looking forward to it, especially since the spotlight was slowly moving towards women cricketers, and deservingly so. Their exploits in the 2016 Women's World Cup was also a huge gamechanger, and thanks to televised coverage, it made many of them household names.

What did the Indian captain, who rode the rough road for so long, and had seen the ups and [mostly] downs of the game's evolution in India, think of these refreshing, and long overdue changes? "Now, media reportage has improved for women's sports; and yes, sportswomen are also more media savvy, with social media tools that make them accessible," she said. She gave the example of her presence at the event we were at - a seminar on women change makers. "Even I am getting used to all this," she smiled, allowing me to join the dots. From the all-white gear on field to a silhouetted black number and stilettos, heads turned as she made her presence felt among the line-up of power women across culture, sport and business.

During that chat I got to know, and what is now common knowledge, of Mithali's initiation into the sport. She hated waking early in the mornings, and so, keen to change her routine, her father packed her off with her older brother to cricket camp when she was nine to join their training sessions. Her brother's coach, former Hyderabad paced Jyothi Prasad spotted her talent, and informed her dad. Thrilled, he went all out to ensure his daughter became a world-class cricketer. "It was fun initially, but being the only girl, I had to work harder, and there were no shortcuts," she recalled during the interview. Those tough early days of playing with the boys went a long way into moulding her basics.

Mithali must have to wait for long in her 23-year-long illustrious career to see the dividends of those early days play out, in terms of accolades on and off the field, which had taken over the men's game by the time she began representing India. Those days where she trained in a boys' camp must have mentally toughened her to tread new terrain, in a ‘gentleman's game.'

During that chat, she candidly revealed that the men's game was technically more superior, and that she followed it closely to improve her game. "To be the best, you need to keep pace with those who are better." That she holds Rahul Dravid in high regard for his work ethic should come as no surprise, considering the concentration she has shown on field for unbelievably long periods of time and her patience that saw her career span two decades.

If swimming against the tide is what Mithali and her ilk face all the time, one can only imagine the pressure that came with it. She admitted carrying an immense weight for the longest time. "It took me a while to realise that cricket was my destiny. Since I was doing it to keep my dad happy, I approached it as a task." But the Women's World Cup in Australia in 2009 did great things for her confidence levels. Games were televised; there were pre-match interviews and coloured clothing added to the wow factor. "The women's game was being watched by the world. To come in for praise from greats was special. I realised that maybe if I changed my mindset after having worked so hard for years, I would enjoy the game." And it did.

I slipped in a question on unpleasant comments about women's cricket from her male counterparts. She always played with a straight bat, and recalled reading an interview by a former Indian cricket captain where he was asked if he would encourage his daughter to take up cricket, to which he replied that women's cricket was a non-entity in India.

"It made me very sad that a man who represented the game at the highest level would make such a comment." Even now, barring a handful, our active male cricketers - who are otherwise extremely active on social media - were notably silent to celebrate her legacy after she announced her retirement.

But for someone like Mithali, this must hardly matter. My takeaways from that 30-minute chat are the quiet strength, self-confidence and bindaas attitude. These tools must have come handy when you're the best in your field, and a woman sportsperson in India. The spotlight and the distractions rarely faze her, as we noticed then, and as someone who's known to enjoy her me-time, away from the glare, preferring to curl up with a Wilbur Smith or Walter Raleigh title.

In her retirement, many compared her legacy with Sachin Tendulkar, calling her the SRT of Indian women's cricket. With all due respect to his achievements, why can she not be hailed as the greatest batswoman of India, and we drop the comparison? Why measure it with a male counterpart at all? We don't see the reverse happening in any sport, do we? Imagine an upcoming tennis talent being called the Sania Mirza of Indian tennis, because of his cracking double-handed backhand that is similar to India's tennis queen.

In her playing days, the lack of recognition, buzz and white noise did not affect her. It is this calm, cool and focused eye on the goal that we will miss. The near-anonymity with which she reached milestone after another is a class act that won't be matched anytime soon. We hope that this single-minded vision and attitude of Mithali will inspire young girls for different corners of the country to represent India.

mid-day's Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the city's sights, sounds, smells and stones...wherever the ink and the inclination takes her. She tweets @bombayana
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