During their debut appearance at the Asian Games, the Indian women’s cricket team achieved a historic milestone by clinching the gold medal.
The momentous event took place in September 2022, marked by a significant void following the retirement of veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami from international cricket. Goswami had led India’s fast bowling attack for two decades, mentoring numerous young talents along the way. Despite the transition, her departure left a somber atmosphere.
Fast forward to September 2023, and Indian cricket witnessed a resurgence after that period of gloom. Matching Goswami’s legendary standards is undoubtedly challenging, yet on Monday, at the Zhejiang University of Technology Cricket Field, 18-year-old Titas Sadhu stepped onto the scene.
Sadhu had made her debut in the semi-final against Bangladesh a day earlier. However, it was in the final of the women’s cricket event at the Asian Games in Hangzhou where she made her mark. Her bowling performance yielded memorable figures of 3/18, playing a pivotal role in India’s 19-run victory against Sri Lanka.
The Hangzhou pitch had already proven tricky, with India struggling to reach 116/7 on a challenging batting surface. A lower-middle-order collapse meant that the target was not overly threatening. Nevertheless, India’s bowling unit rose to the occasion, restricting Sri Lanka to 97/8 in response.
This was not the first time that Harmanpreet and her team contended for gold at a multi-sport event, as they had gained such experience the previous year at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. However, this time, they had to overcome the ghosts of past failures under pressure.
The Indian batting performance in Hangzhou appeared to echo previous struggles. The lineup crumbled from 89/2 to 116/7, displaying little resilience after the partnership between Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues was disrupted. However, the Indian bowlers disrupted Sri Lanka’s efforts early on, breaking the pattern of succumbing to pressure.
Titas Sadhu delivered the decisive blow by claiming two wickets in her opening over, including that of the opposition’s captain and top batter, Chamari Athapaththu. She went on to take a total of three wickets in her first two overs, putting Sri Lanka on the back foot during the powerplay.
Sadhu received valuable support from her fellow pacemaker Pooja Vastrakar (1/20), senior off-spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2/20), and leg-spinner Devika Vaidya (1/15) to prevent Sri Lanka from forming partnerships later in the match.
Notably, this was not the first final where Sadhu excelled. She was named the player of the match in the ICC U19 Women’s Cricket World Cup final for her 2/6, helping dismiss England for just 68 runs. Her ability to rise to the occasion and perform under pressure is a valuable asset for the Indian team.
Coincidentally, Sadhu hails from Bengal, the same state as Jhulan Goswami. She made her debut for the senior Bengal squad during the 2020-2021 season under the leadership of captain Rumeli Dhar. Having shared the dressing room with her idol Goswami in her formative years, Sadhu can carry forward those invaluable lessons.
Harmanpreet Kaur, who celebrated her 100th T20I on a fitting occasion after missing the last two matches for India, led her team to gold. While there are still challenges ahead for the Indian side, their triumphant performance in Asia allows them to return home with a sense of pride and accomplishment.
In their inaugural appearance at the Asian Games, the Indian women’s cricket team created history. This victory, achieved amidst past disappointments and hard-earned lessons, brought tears of joy to Harmanpreet Kaur’s eyes, offering a pleasant departure from the norm.
