For long, women's cricket in India had failed to get the attention of the masses as it does when the male stars play. With no due recognition and a TV audience, the women cricketers have played in near obscurity. However, the performance of the Indian women in the ICC Women's World Cup in England, where they agonizingly fell short in the final by a mere nine runs, has finally warmed up cricket fans in the country to the women's game. The heartbreak of the team was felt by the whole nation, and even in defeat, the girls have been accorded a status they deserve -- they are our heroes; they did us proud.
The team's English campaign shows that it has great potential but they lack big game temperament, which showed up as they wilted in what should have been an easy chase. Since the BCCI took over women's cricket in 2006, the women's game has developed but we are still far behind countries like Australia and England.
The game's administrators should now build on the gains of the World Cup; a campaign that can be a catalyst for a bigger change which can turn the team into world beaters.
The team's English campaign shows that it has great potential but they lack big game temperament, which showed up as they wilted in what should have been an easy chase. Since the BCCI took over women's cricket in 2006, the women's game has developed but we are still far behind countries like Australia and England.
The game's administrators should now build on the gains of the World Cup; a campaign that can be a catalyst for a bigger change which can turn the team into world beaters.
