Cameras snapped, crowds cheered and commentators whooped as the Indian men’s cricket team fought their way through to the semi-finals. The frenzy was palpable in the air
as the team didn’t let the country down, giving fodder to media, Kohli making the crowds swoon over his shots.
On the other hand, the women’s team unfortunately didn’t handle the pressure very well.
A tough fight against the West Indies for the semi-final berth ended in India losing the battle and falling out of the tournament. Was it the pressure?Was it lack of form? We cannot deny that the women must have felt like a deer in headlights, conscious of an expected home crowd watching them with bated breath.
The team did have a few shining jewels. Veda Krishnamurthy, with her strong hitting ability, beautiful manoeuvring, Harmanpreet Kaur, with her all-round performance of hitting runs and taking wickets. Anuja Patil and Ekta Bisht bowled well, never letting the team down. Mithali Raj, as usual, played with flair and intent, being a pillar to the team.
This time, the confidence of the players had increased tenfold.
“If Mithali doesn’t click in some matches, we take up the challenge and see the team through,”Harmanpreet Kaur had said, proving that the women were much improved as a team.
A few cricket experts believe that the team’s focus seemed to be too much on big hitting and not enough on working the ball into gaps for the batters to get themselves in.
Was it this crowd pleasing that pulled the team down?
All that matters in such international games is how a team handles pressure. India, not used to being in the media spotlight unlike the more established teams, bent under this pressure and lost their form.
But as we all know, good days lie ahead of tough times. The team will bounce back, that is for sure. It is full of strong players who are sure to fight back and claw their way up.
Let’s stay tuned to the magic the Indian team will create in future.
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