She’s doing it her way

South Africa’s Mignon du Preez with cake from Mithali Raj’s celebration of her 10k feat. Pic/Twitter

The headline and intro must've given away the fact that yours truly has made a departure from her usual wanderings and comment pieces about heritage, communities and all things Bombay.

But, for this closet sports buff, it is that kind of an occasion that deserves a deviation. Last week, during their One-Day International series against South Africa, Mithali Raj crossed 10,000 runs, becoming India's first woman cricketer to achieve this feat.

I shall not get into decoding her every milestone or achievement on the field. That's for the statisticians and pundits to pore over. But for anybody who's followed women's sport in India, while tracking champions, gutsy women to emerge from different corners who've risen against the odds, she ranks right up there, at the top of the table. "As long as I get the opportunity to bat, it has to be counted," she said in an interview to a publication, about the achievement. But it also tells the story of resilience, of survival, and of getting on with the job in a sport where the men's game is way ahead when it comes to reach and yes, stardust. It must have been tough for the likes of Mithali and her ilk to sustain the rigours of women's cricket for over two decades. Unlike individual sports like badminton, tennis, boxing, wrestling, where Sania, Sindhu, Saina, MC Mary Kom, and the Phogat sisters have shone bright, if not brighter than their male counterparts, in a sport like cricket, the woman's game has always had to play catch-up.

Of course, we have been witnessing a gradual change in attitude and approach in the past few years, but it will require a seismic shift in the mindset across organisers, sponsors and the media for it to attain anywhere close to the kind of popularity that the men's game continues to enjoy. For that matter, how many male Indian cricketers from the current squad tweeted congratulatory messages to her? The change has to begin from influencers immediately connected with sport, for starters.

I was reminded of an incident from my days as a cub reporter on the sports desk; I was assigned to cover an inter-state women's hockey tournament at the BHA Mahindra Stadium. I got a taste of clichés and stereotypes around sport, when I approached one of the organisers to guide me towards the press box. Instead, he said, "Take the right towards the spectator stands, madam." He assumed I had come by to cheer for one of the participating teams. I encountered several similar episodes as I treaded into this new world as a woman sports journalist, and this was just us, reporting on the game from the sidelines. My respect for every sportswoman grew even more every time they stepped out to take guard in cricket, hockey or any other sport.

That period of realisation, of the reality of women's sport while working on the field coincided with Mithali's early days as she began to break new ground on the field. I recall hearing murmurs about a young Hyderabadi woman cricketer, but it was just that. It was an era when women's cricket was finding its feet; even televised live games were far and few. Yet, it is to her credit that she didn't lose sight of her goal - to deliver for India each time she was called upon, irrespective of whether public acclaim or commercial endorsements came her way. There is a lesson there for so many aspiring women athletes keen to make it in the challenging world of Indian sport.

Having interacted with her a few years ago, what struck me was her quiet confidence, and the ease with which she wore her accolades, and her ‘captain' tag. "You need to be empathetic, with your team, with the people around you; everything else will follow," she said. That for me was another insight into the wonder woman who gave up Bharatanatyam for cricket.

At 38, she's seen and done it all. But, we hope there's more to come. Women's sport needs more inspiring path breakers like her, who carry on, irrespective of whether the spotlight is on them or not.

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
Send your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com