By Anagha Rajadhyaksha
I’m a 90s kid. We grew up either loving sportsmen or Govinda. And to take that a step further I grew up with an older brother. As younger siblings would know, for the first 10-12 years of our life, our sole purpose of living is to get the attention, love, respect and TV remote from our older sibling. I was no different. But in order to become my brother’s best friend, I had to play (a lot) of sports with him. He would want to be Sachin Tendulkar and I would smear some Nivea cream on my face and become Alan Donald only to bowl to him for hours. From there began my relationship with India’s most loved topic, ‘Cricket.’
Pretty soon, I made the transition from “kacha limbu” to a player everyone wanted on his team in our society complex. I was the only girl taking on the boys, in a sport they believed they were born to play.
In 2001, I’d just finished my ICSE exams and found myself spending hours at the Bombay Gymkhana carrying every sport racquet that I own to get a good game – until I realised something pretty unusual was happening on the beautiful lawns that particular evening. There were about 20 cricketers having an extremely intense session at the nets. Why was it surprising? Well, they were all women. I walked up to them and asked if I could join? “This is the Mumbai Under-19 team,” I was told curtly. I persisted until I was given the ball – the first time I was even holding an actual cricket ball. I got my ‘Alan Donald’ mode on, rushed in and got a wicket on ball one (pretty filmi, yes!). After a good game with the team, I was asked if I would like to go for the “try-outs” for the “Nationals” in Jamshedpur, a couple of months away. I excitedly called my father to update him on the development. “There is a women’s cricket team?” was his first reaction. “Of course,” I said confidently, though 5 minutes earlier I was wondering why this team would need “try outs,” I mean are there more than 15 girls, under 19 years of age, who aspire to play cricket in the city?
I finally made it for the try-outs and before I knew I was the opening bowler for the Mumbai state team. At age 16, this was possibly the most important experience life could have given me. I became part of a world very different from the one I came from. And thanks to the lack of attention and coverage that Indian women sports gets, I didn’t even know this world existed. It was possibly the first time I felt embarrassed to live in South Bombay, study at St Xavier’s, have the luxury of a car and foreign holidays and I tried very hard to hide my Walkman. The world I grew up in was quite different from that of the rest of the girls who would catch the first local train and travel over an hour (sometimes two) to make it for net practice. I was certainly different from the girls for whom playing cricket was to be a means of livelihood and not just a game or an “activity”. Two weeks into being part of this world, I was handed over a big fat book of receipts with Rs 200 written on the top left. “What’s this?” I asked the team Manager. “The association needs money, begin collecting it from people you know, it’s just Rs 200 that they need to part with.” I had chosen to be part of this world, and thought it was something I needed to do for my new community – partly to help and mostly to belong! Neighbours, friends, family happily wrote off the money as a contribution to my budding cricket career, but in my mind this was just the tip of the iceberg when one talks about the state of women’s cricket & possibly women’s sport in India, in general.
We had a tournament in Chandigarh. 15 girls aged 16 to 19 travelled third class, on unreserved tickets and a journey that would take 52 hours. We slept in turns, three girls shared one seat and as we jostled for space and sleep, none of us realised that this was going to be our life along with all the men who kept trying to brush against us as we tried to make it to the toilets. By the time we reached Chandigarh, we were exhausted even just thinking of playing a full game of cricket in the blistering May heat. Fifteen of us were allotted a hall-sized room, of course we shared the bathrooms with the other teams, we were given 2 water bottles a day and food no athlete should be eating. The grounds we played on were small school maidans, where the rocky “outfield” was certainly not conducive to a game of cricket, or safety, for that matter. Men turned up to watch the game, not for the sport but because they got 30-odd women to ogle at will. God forbid you’d have to field at the boundary; it was difficult to decipher what the captain was trying to say to you, because the voices of men discussing you wouldn’t quite fade out.
The beauty of playing a sport you love is that through all this, the years of being part of the Mumbai state cricket team were one of my happiest. I learnt everything and more about the game from some of the best women in the game. The joy of victory, the shared pain of a close game lost, team bonding, dirty secrets and the happiness of a match-winning spell will possibly be unmatched. There was a hunger to win, healthy competition to make it to the playing 11 and a lot of hard work and dedication that went behind playing the sport – but the women’s team never got its due.
Gender dynamics that I never cared about growing up became acutely apparent to me. We had to play a practice game against an experienced men’s team. They fought and we fought harder and somewhere the cricket game turned into 11 women challenging 11 male egos. I say this confidently, since I was at the receiving end. One of their fastest and best bowlers began his run up from the boundary rope, bowled it fast, but only for me to play the ball off my pads, to the boundary. He was seething. It wasn’t about the boundary. It was about a girl hitting it. The next ball was rammed straight into my rib cage, he gave me a little grin and asked “girls don’t wear boob guards?” This is just one amongst the many incidents.
When I would tell people I met that I played professional cricket, reactions ranged from “so you girls play with a tennis ball?” to “means it’s under-arm stuff, na?” First this was entertaining, and then it got plain frustrating and demeaning.
I got an out. And I chose it. I was an above average student and I picked pursuing my education in one of the country’s best colleges over the chance of representing my state or who knows, even my country at some point in life. The faculty at college was extremely supportive of my choice to pursue the sport, as were my parents who never once wondered what would happen to the colour of my skin becoming 5 times darker by playing in the sun for 10 hours in a day. I had all the backing to pursue the game professionally but still didn’t. I had an alternative, a choice, an option, a luxury most of my teammates didn’t.
We live in a system where sports is still considered an “extra-curricular” activity and not part of the curriculum. What’s more worrying is that this is a system where women’s sports doesn’t feature on anybody’s radar – not the lawmakers, decision makers, sports associations, the advertisers or the media. The talent is out there, along with a lot of focus and determination; all it needs (or rather begs) is for some sort of support in the form of infrastructure and opportunity. A few years ago, I had the chance to associate myself with cricket again, but this time as a member of the media. I covered the World Cup of 2011 and the job description was pretty simple – follow team India wherever they go, with all access to the ground and players for interviews. To put this in perspective, sports channels by then had already tapped into the opportunity of getting a pretty face to “co-anchor” match preview shows in the hope of increasing eyeballs (on the game and the girl). Also, they made it quite apparent to all, that the girl was on TV for respite and not analysis! Given that context, not too many people expected to see a girl cover the game with real understanding of the nuances. And needless to say they were not good at hiding their shock. So nothing had changed then, women and sport in any combination, seemed too much to digest.
It’s been an interesting month with both our men and women teams playing the World T20. The India men’s team played Australia in a virtual quarter final at Mohali. A few hours earlier their female counterparts lost a close game to West Indies at the same venue, which also marked their exit from the tournament. While all the limelight that evening was on Virat Kohli, the camera very often panned towards India’s women team which was at the stadium cheering him on. Through this there were a couple of moments that stood out for me and also put into perspective where women’s cricket stands. Each time the girls saw themselves on the big screen, there was a shy giggle or a little jump in the seat, to have their 3 seconds of “fame.” To think, this talented bunch of girls are India’s national team, in a sport this country breathes, have on many occasions dominated the game at the world stage and yet remain completely unknown and out of the spotlight, despite their achievements.
Well, I presume, exposure and spotlight seems like a pretty farfetched expectation, where actually all that’s really needed is to get the basics in place.
1. Let’s make sports mainstream, part of the system, integral to the curriculum.
2. Let’s ensure better infrastructure, equal training facilities and more tournaments, because practice makes perfect.
3. Fair incentives backed by a good reward system to ensure that playing a sport is as much a career choice for a woman, as being a doctor.
Bollywood films like Chak De! India and Mary Kom throw light on the plight of women’s sport in the country & while Sania & Saina continue to make the country proud, the question we should be answering is how are we equipping ourselves to make more like them?
Here’s a plea to sports lovers, decision makers, lawmakers, sports associations and the like to act, encourage and support our sportswomen so as to ensure there are more out there representing us and fewer out here writing a piece on how they wish they could have!
March 29, 2016 at 4:16 pm
Anagha_R_ Awesome article!!!
March 29, 2016 at 4:17 pm
Anagha_R_ Your rock, girl. So delighted and proud to see this thread 🙂 theladiesfinger AdityaSpeak
March 29, 2016 at 4:18 pm
urjourno Thanks Ma’am! Coming from you, it means the world! 🙂 theladiesfinger AdityaSpeak
March 29, 2016 at 4:22 pm
Anagha_R_ interesting read. Would love to bump into you someday. theladiesfinger
March 29, 2016 at 4:22 pm
Anagha_R_ Always there, for you. theladiesfinger AdityaSpeak
March 29, 2016 at 4:26 pm
Hello Anagha_R_ please meet the Super Miss juhishah11 More here: http://theladiesfinger.com/why-im-thrilled-to-be-watching-fifa-2015-womens-world-cup-this-year/
March 29, 2016 at 4:27 pm
And thanks theladiesfinger for focusing on women’s sport+women in sports. Under-reported and under-documented area. A pet peeve. Anagha_R_
March 29, 2016 at 4:27 pm
urjourno Anagha_R_ Thank you! Do follow our coverage here. http://theladiesfinger.com/sports/finger-at-the-icc-t20-world-cup-2016/
March 29, 2016 at 4:28 pm
theladiesfinger Have been, all through the Cup. Kudos! Anagha_R_
March 29, 2016 at 4:31 pm
theladiesfinger In fact,an early memory of gender discrimination was how girls’ relay team was treated in state/national finals Anagha_R_
March 29, 2016 at 4:32 pm
theladiesfinger Way back in the late 70s and early 80s. Hear things haven’t changed much since. Anagha_R_
March 29, 2016 at 4:38 pm
urjourno Anagha_R_ So glad to hear that!
March 29, 2016 at 4:56 pm
Anagha_R_ sounds so interesting and wonderful!Will read it after work today.Can’t wait.
March 29, 2016 at 5:00 pm
sayanroy Thanks! 🙂
March 29, 2016 at 5:01 pm
Anagha_R_ read a couple of paras and was hooked but alas have some work to do so … Will revert back after reading.
March 29, 2016 at 5:28 pm
sureshnmenon theladiesfinger Thank youuuuuu! 🙂
March 29, 2016 at 6:10 pm
Anagha_R_ yay! so glad it happened. I may hate cricket matches but I love that other match-matchmaking :D! So here’s to you & chasingiamb
March 29, 2016 at 6:18 pm
parodevi 🙂 Thank you!
March 29, 2016 at 10:38 pm
JaisiAapkiMasti Thanks for sharing this 🙂 theladiesfinger
March 29, 2016 at 11:01 pm
iainobrien Would love to know more about that! 🙂 Thank you for sharing this! theladiesfinger
March 29, 2016 at 11:04 pm
Anagha_R_ theladiesfinger I’ll be in Bombay for a while, as of Tuesday, can talk then. I’d love to hear some of your stories, also!
March 29, 2016 at 11:06 pm
iainobrien Would be fantastic to meet you! 🙂
March 29, 2016 at 11:10 pm
Virat Kohli’s innings had me enthralled, but the sight of the Women’s Cricket Team cheering him on was among the more heartwarming moments.
March 29, 2016 at 11:19 pm
Anagha_R_ you’ll have to follow me, for a bit, so we can organise.
March 30, 2016 at 8:36 am
prempanicker Anagha_R_ Remember Shanta Rangaswamy? Fowzieh Khalili?
March 30, 2016 at 8:40 am
geffbeck Anagha_R_ Also Diana Edulji. Lopamudra B. Shubhangi. Anjum. Sriroopa. So many such.
March 30, 2016 at 8:42 am
prempanicker Anagha_R_ Shanta Rangaswamy & Fowzieh Khalili are from Chennai!
March 30, 2016 at 8:42 am
geffbeck Anagha_R_ Oh that way. Didn’t realise you were talking geography, sorry.
March 30, 2016 at 8:44 am
prempanicker Anagha_R_ Not at all! They were great players all. Shanta.R was known to be technically sound
March 30, 2016 at 8:45 am
geffbeck Anagha_R_ Yes. I’ve watched her play. Huge respect. Like several others, didn’t need the “women” tag. Was a cricketer, period.
March 30, 2016 at 9:09 am
Anagha_R_ theladiesfinger CC: Fancricket12 ShruthiHS3
March 30, 2016 at 9:12 am
cricketaakash Anagha_R_ Women’s IPL soon?
March 30, 2016 at 9:19 am
Very well written. This topic needs attention in India. More tournaments for women- the first step! Anagha_R_ theladiesfinger
March 30, 2016 at 9:21 am
mehtadeep totally agree! More opportunity is also key. theladiesfinger
March 30, 2016 at 9:22 am
Anagha_R_ Yes! I have been spending some time to get more people to write on women’s cricket on my cricket website : TheCrickBlog
March 30, 2016 at 10:26 am
cricketaakash Anagha_R_ theladiesfinger U0001f44dU0001f44d
March 30, 2016 at 10:49 am
cricketaakash Anagha_R_ Thanks Aakash for the tweet. Anagha, excellent
March 30, 2016 at 11:05 am
bhogleharsha cricketaakash Anagha_R_ That was not quarter final mam.you could have written virtual quarter final.forget nuances its basic
March 30, 2016 at 11:10 am
goforgloryuttam bhogleharsha cricketaakash Hey! My mistake. Will get it changed. Thanks for pointing it out. theladiesfinger
March 30, 2016 at 11:26 am
cricketaakash Great piece Anagha_R_ looking forward to your upcoming writings already.
March 30, 2016 at 11:29 am
Fixed it. It was a mistake at our end, not Anagha’s. Anagha_R_ goforgloryuttam bhogleharsha cricketaakash
March 30, 2016 at 11:54 am
SidGupta234 Thank you so much.
March 30, 2016 at 11:58 am
cricketaakash Anagha_R_ its a fantabulous piece of writing, in the 1st paragraph i can see myself, but later somewhere in my mind i..
March 30, 2016 at 12:01 pm
cricketaakash Anagha_R_ i could c myself in case i wud have pursued it as a profession. i cud relate each n evrythin mentned in this topic
March 30, 2016 at 12:01 pm
bhogleharsha cheers, Harsha Anagha_R_ is wonderful with the strings too… U0001f60a
March 30, 2016 at 12:03 pm
cricketaakash Anagha_R_ KUDOS, and i think conditions and situations for women’s cricket are very much improved now.
March 30, 2016 at 12:03 pm
cricketaakash bhogleharsha Anagha_R_ hi sir I am fan of your commentary
March 30, 2016 at 12:10 pm
cricketaakash Do u think today it is English batsmen vs nz bowlers ? Do u think it would be a interesting game ?
March 30, 2016 at 12:11 pm
cricketaakash DO U THINK NZ WOULD BE UNDER PRESSURE PLAYING AGAINST ENGLAND ? IN THE PAST ALSO WE HAVE SEEN THEY HAVE STRUGGLED IN SEMIS
March 30, 2016 at 12:13 pm
cricketaakash & u r wonderful as a host aakash. Anagha_R_
March 30, 2016 at 12:14 pm
cricketaakash WHAT ARE UR OPINIONS ON NZ VS ENGLAND SEMIFINAL? WHO DO U GIVE EDGE IN THIS CONTEST LOOKING AT NZ POOR RECORD IN SEMIS
March 30, 2016 at 12:18 pm
cricketaakash Anagha_R_ So, Anagha, when do we get to hear you?
March 30, 2016 at 12:18 pm
cricketaakash You’re too kind Aakash! Yes entertaining kids with my guitar is certainly something I love 🙂 bhogleharsha
March 30, 2016 at 12:18 pm
bhogleharsha cricketaakash Anagha_R_ after you finish lol
March 30, 2016 at 12:21 pm
bhogleharsha cricketaakash Anagha_R_ we r dieing to hear navjot sir hindi commentry
March 30, 2016 at 12:32 pm
cricketaakash Thanks for sharing Anagha_R_ peice I enjoyed reading it 🙂 infact i had written something similar..
http://swarajyamag.com/culture/girls-play-in-darkness
March 30, 2016 at 12:37 pm
monicas004 I hope so! And thank you for the kind words 🙂 theladiesfinger
March 30, 2016 at 12:38 pm
coolshalabh2010 Thank you for reading it. theladiesfinger
March 30, 2016 at 12:39 pm
arvindv That’s very kind of you to say. Thank you! theladiesfinger
March 30, 2016 at 12:40 pm
poisonaavi Hope we’re the last batch of girls feeling this way!
March 30, 2016 at 12:42 pm
rashi_kakkar Thanks for sharing this Rashi. theladiesfinger
March 30, 2016 at 12:43 pm
Anagha_R_ Amen!
March 30, 2016 at 12:45 pm
Anagha_R_ theladiesfinger About a year back I had written something on the same lines http://swarajyamag.com/culture/girls-play-in-darkness 🙂
March 30, 2016 at 1:06 pm
radicals101 Thank you! theladiesfinger
March 30, 2016 at 1:06 pm
RK_sports RK! Means a lot coming from you! Thanks so much! theladiesfinger
March 30, 2016 at 1:21 pm
prempanicker I work more when you are not online. All that you posted today is so fabulous!! Bishop one was wonderful.
March 30, 2016 at 1:31 pm
Anagha_R_ lovely piece….last few lines really touching…as much as women cricket has improved the gulf has got wider
March 30, 2016 at 1:41 pm
DeShobhaa seriously ,BCCI these female stars needs ur support n help , pls prommot this game , this will also bring equal revenue ,I bat
March 30, 2016 at 1:41 pm
DeShobhaa Except for Tennis and Badminton No other women sport in our country gets equal mention. This is MCP syndrome of our society.
March 30, 2016 at 1:46 pm
DeShobhaa ok stop attending free parties with Male cricketers
March 30, 2016 at 1:50 pm
GautamBThakker Thank you for sharing this! :)) theladiesfinger
March 30, 2016 at 1:53 pm
DeShobhaa theladiesfinger Yes.
March 30, 2016 at 2:02 pm
DeShobhaa theladiesfinger
#RaniMukerji in Dil bole hadippa !
March 30, 2016 at 2:03 pm
DeShobhaa theladiesfinger We can’t find cleaner cricket than this, in the #India .
TimesNow ndtv aajtak ZeeNews indiatvnews NewsX
March 30, 2016 at 2:07 pm
DeShobhaa theladiesfinger only talent should be considered the most important in order to play a sport – not gender !
March 30, 2016 at 2:51 pm
Newspaperwalli Thanks you so much for sharing this! 🙂
March 30, 2016 at 2:52 pm
GSV1980 True. Thank you for this.
March 30, 2016 at 2:52 pm
satishs Thank you Satish!
March 30, 2016 at 3:04 pm
DeShobhaa there are also other games & stars in India.I hope one day we’ll be able to see beyond Cricket & Pak.
March 30, 2016 at 3:49 pm
AnuNande Thanks lovely! And yes, we must catch-up super soon!
March 30, 2016 at 3:50 pm
Anagha_R_ Most welcome! Enjoyed reading it. Yep Maushi and I were saying we should meet up only a few days ago, hope you’re well 🙂
March 30, 2016 at 3:57 pm
AnuNande Your maushi needs to return my calls! Hmph.
March 30, 2016 at 4:15 pm
Anagha_R_ Haha I quoted this to her and she said yes, but after March 31!
March 30, 2016 at 4:15 pm
AnuNande Haha! Okay AT LEAST ask her to read the article 🙂
March 30, 2016 at 4:16 pm
Anagha_R_ That I told her as soon as I read it 🙂 I’ll make sure she does!
March 30, 2016 at 8:57 pm
ajit_bhaskar Thank you!
March 30, 2016 at 9:11 pm
Anagha_R_ thank you! 🙂 (cheering for west indies in the finals because I cannot get myself to support Australia U0001f602).
March 30, 2016 at 9:11 pm
Anagha_R_ assuming WI wins, that is.
March 31, 2016 at 10:36 am
awryaditi Anagha_R_ sexism in sport is something that has been unnoticed for decades :/
March 31, 2016 at 11:47 am
varungrover Anagha_R_ I watched Mohali game Ind Vs WI (Women Cricket) .. it was well supported by Crowd (and Men cricket team) !!
March 31, 2016 at 12:29 pm
pankaj1207 varungrover Glad to know that!!!
March 31, 2016 at 12:29 pm
varungrover And, big congratulations for the National Award 🙂
March 31, 2016 at 1:11 pm
RaviBasvapattan ianuragthakur SrBachchan sachin_rt Thank you! theladiesfinger
March 31, 2016 at 1:41 pm
sardesairajdeep theladiesfinger at times u write, talk and share sense but only at times … U can b great if u stop being biased .Cheers
March 31, 2016 at 1:42 pm
sardesairajdeep good one sir
March 31, 2016 at 1:44 pm
sardesairajdeep yes sagarikha can play with 2 balls at one time
March 31, 2016 at 1:44 pm
sardesairajdeep theladiesfinger
Don’t tell us,
We know about sagarikaghose already.
March 31, 2016 at 1:46 pm
sardesairajdeep Thanks:) Anagha_R_
March 31, 2016 at 1:48 pm
sardesairajdeep पहले राहुल और केजरीवाल से पूछ लीजियेगा तब क्रिकेट की बात करिए आज पाकिस्तान से मैच नहीं है ,आज सेक्युलर लोगो का काम नहीं है
March 31, 2016 at 1:51 pm
sardesairajdeep Heard about this good old field placement – No cover, no extra cover, just there’s a deep gully between two fine legs.
March 31, 2016 at 1:59 pm
sardesairajdeep theladiesfinger but how will u connect RSS nd Hindusena with it…U0001f602U0001f602
March 31, 2016 at 2:00 pm
sardesairajdeep theladiesfinger What an atrocious thing to say, like it’s a recent discovery? People’s traits aren’t based on their gender
March 31, 2016 at 2:19 pm
sardesairajdeep theladiesfinger Come on.. What has sports to do with gender??? Why don’t u report on Dantewada Blast?? #Presstitute
March 31, 2016 at 2:23 pm
sardesairajdeep theladiesfinger dear rajdeep please be focus on modi only .
Congress and other will get angree to you.
March 31, 2016 at 2:31 pm
sardesairajdeep yes we know.. That u love cricket too..isme batane wali kya baat hai
March 31, 2016 at 2:50 pm
sardesairajdeep theladiesfinger but mandybedi is more keen on encouraging gents cricket only..fake cup
March 31, 2016 at 3:05 pm
sardesairajdeep theladiesfinger you are such a pervet…such a looser such a bastard such a motherfucker
March 31, 2016 at 3:24 pm
sardesairajdeep theladiesfinger but you,,, only presstitute!
March 31, 2016 at 3:25 pm
tochanpani sardesairajdeep why do U say ladies also!? Because team attended QF 2 witness WT20 match against Aussies…
March 31, 2016 at 3:58 pm
sardesairajdeep theladiesfinger http://twitter.com/rraj68/status/715485993436995585/photo/1
March 31, 2016 at 4:53 pm
sardesairajdeep For Last 6days Post Office Server Down Govt.Purposely Harrasing Sr.Citizens from 1st the Interest Rates R Reducing on Svngs
March 31, 2016 at 4:54 pm
sardesairajdeep apna dharam patni ko thoda samjao, she said Why cricket is a patriarchal bachelor party theladiesfinger
March 31, 2016 at 5:13 pm
sardesairajdeep theladiesfinger yess its true ! Once upon a time there used to be a girls cricket team . Now we dont hear any news of them
March 31, 2016 at 5:24 pm
sardesairajdeep Yeh sab chutiyapaa band karo ismain tweet karo .. #Kolkata http://twitter.com/chanujii/status/715507465559740416/photo/1
March 31, 2016 at 5:25 pm
sardesairajdeep Yeh sab chutiyapaa band karo ismain tweet karo, 6 hr passed #Kolkatta http://twitter.com/chanujii/status/715507718434336768/photo/1
March 31, 2016 at 5:26 pm
sardesairajdeep If you out from Modi phobia tweet on this #Kolkata #KolkataFlyOver #kolkataTragedy http://twitter.com/chanujii/status/715507960676372481/photo/1
March 31, 2016 at 5:38 pm
sardesairajdeep
Ladies also play at international level. Must applause
March 31, 2016 at 5:41 pm
sardesairajdeep We have almost spoken nothing of the women who too are playing T20 theladiesfinger
March 31, 2016 at 6:37 pm
sardesairajdeep it is also media responsibility to cover women’s game in any sport with same passion as they do in case of men’s game.
April 1, 2016 at 9:56 am
DeathEndsFun Thank you! theladiesfinger
April 1, 2016 at 10:09 am
Anagha_R_ You’re welcome! I should write more about women’s games which are always more interesting to watch anyway…
April 1, 2016 at 10:51 am
DeathEndsFun agree 🙂
April 1, 2016 at 10:56 am
Anagha_R_ I’ve watched women’s volleyball, basketball, cricket … never written enough about them. A bit here: https://in.news.yahoo.com/basketball-is-forever-110228630.html
April 3, 2016 at 8:32 am
SandipGhose Anagha_R_ Ram_Guha What a lovely piece of writing. My sister played for Mumbai in the 1970s so all this resonates with me
April 3, 2016 at 8:34 am
CafeEconomics The Rajadhyaksha chauvinism at work here – but Anagha_R_ is my fav niece ::)) Ram_Guha
April 3, 2016 at 8:35 am
SandipGhose Anagha_R_ Ram_Guha Oh really! My sister was in the first team with Neeta Telang, Diana Eduljee, Nutan Gavaskar…
April 3, 2016 at 8:39 am
CafeEconomics So another common link of Rajadhyaksha women seem to be media. Your sis, Anagha_R_ , her cuz r_madhavi and DeShobhaa :))
April 3, 2016 at 10:26 am
SandipGhose Ram_Guha Thank youuu Sandip uncle! 🙂
April 3, 2016 at 10:32 am
Anagha_R_ Ram_Guha High-praise from these 2 media worthies CafeEconomics and ndcnn is like being lauded by msdhoni and SGanguly99 both
April 3, 2016 at 10:34 am
SandipGhose Ram_Guha CafeEconomics ndcnn msdhoni SGanguly99 That makes me feel pretty Virat Kohli-ish! 🙂
April 3, 2016 at 11:24 am
PWNeha Thanks for sharing this, Neha.
April 3, 2016 at 11:25 am
aparanjape Thank you for sharing this.
April 3, 2016 at 11:30 am
Anagha_R_ you are welcome! great story.
April 3, 2016 at 1:04 pm
vishnugopal Thank you!
April 3, 2016 at 1:38 pm
Sigmalogy Thank you! theladiesfinger
April 3, 2016 at 10:04 pm
Many times, I have seen this kind of self-pitying rants from women and on equal number of times from men too! We have all gone through this. I know what was the state of our Basketball teams when we used to travel around and play in tournaments across the country. No different! I remember, getting ice-sticks in lieu of water since it was scarce in those days in Chennai when we were there for a tournament (1978-80).
Imagine what happens when Sania Mirza walks into a tennis court or a Saina Nehwal or PT Usha in those days of fame! They had their own share of troubles and their own share of success. But the point is, there is no man-woman divide in sports. It is all the same. Even men’s hockey doesn’t get covered. As a matter of fact, it is easy to find hundreds of thousands of men who are lovers of other sports cribbing about the way this country pampers cricketeers who keep losing!
It is not about the game either. It could be cricket, it could be boxing. It could be any game. Look at the way kabaddi is catching up. It is all about marketing, my young lady. No one took the interest to market Women’s cricket. Men’s cricket had someone called ‘you-know-who’ who pushed the TRPs and the rest of the things that matter for Men’s cricket.
I for one, also believe there is another important truth underlying in the popularity of cricket (in India). That is, men in India are lazy and they like lazy games! Cricket is one such. Thanks to the new version, we at least see a result at the end of the match. And Indian men want to be lazy. But they shun it in their women.
April 5, 2016 at 9:21 am
VANadgir So glad to hear that! Thank you. theladiesfinger