Free Hit by Suprita Das

Author:Suprita Das
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers India
Published: 2018-12-12T16:00:00+00:00

12

The Making of a Six Machine

13 March 2009, North Sydney Oval Ground

2009 ICC Women’s World Cup

Super Six, India vs Australia

The head-to-head between India and Australia could not have been more lopsided. India had lost ten of their last eleven matches against Australia going into the Super Sixes. But for the underdogs, the start wasn’t bad at all, thanks to a confident Anagha Deshpande, who was striking the ball better than in the previous games. The cuts and pulls in her 62-ball-45, before falling to Indian-born Lisa Sthalekar, left the defending champions a bit rattled. The 69-run opening stand was just the start India needed. But it was Anagha’s partner, Anjum Chopra, who was going to play the anchor’s role in this innings. She’d taken 18 deliveries for her first run and, after yet another failed knock from Thirush Kamini, had struck a partnership with the in-form Mithali Raj. The scoring rate still needed work, though, with 100 runs coming up as late as the 29th over.

Soon, a mis-hit saw the well-settled Chopra give a comfortable catch to the fielder at mid-on to walk back after a 135-ball-76. Mithali Raj (44 off 50) fell soon after, with 155 runs on the board. This was never going to be enough against Australia and now there were less than 10 overs in hand. The time had come to shift gears. Amita Sharma hit two fours off Ellyse Perry, racing to a 22-ball-31.

Captain Jhulan Goswami’s dismissal in the 47th over brought Harmanpreet Kaur in to bat. Kaur was lazing around in the dressing room in her shorts when Anjum Chopra told her, ‘You’re in next.’ The nineteen-year-old had just been asked to go out and bat in a World Cup match against the defending champions, in the death overs, by a former captain, and ahead of more experienced batsmen like Rumeli Dhar.

Punam Raut and Harmanpreet Kaur were the newcomers in the squad and in their first few days were victims of some friendly ragging in the dressing room. The team, they thought, was a good place for masti mazaak. But, walking out on to the field that day, it sunk in that this was the real thing.

After watching a couple of deliveries, Kaur decided it was now or never. Emma Sampson, bowling the 49th over, had no idea what was coming her way. Kaur walked down the track twice in the same over, once for a four and then a six and had everyone stunned. Kaur had clobbered the ball like it was nobody’s business. The ball went screaming into the stands, hit the tin roof of the fifth tier and broke the silence of the North Sydney Oval ground. The bowlers and fielders stared; the moderately sized crowd turned its heads to see where the ball would land and the Indian players in the dressing room got up from their seats. It was the biggest six any woman had hit till date.

The end was diametrically opposite to the start. Anjum Chopra and Anagha

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