The 2019 Women’s T20 challenge didn’t just begin with a bang.
It ensured that the viewer all but bit his fingers off. There was nothing left in the end save stunned eyes glued to the TV box, with a team overjoyed, another hapless, you, somewhere between the two polarising opinions, depending on whom you were supporting.
But then, here’s where Cricket, ultimate leveler wins.
There are tense games. There are unpredictable ones. And then there are those that simply turn around at the very final moment. As the Supernovas all but succeeded in challenging the authority of the trailblazers, the opening Women’s T20 challenge contest proved just that.
A tense final-over finish
You wondered, perhaps in the middle of a prolonged session of nail-biting, perhaps in midst of a proper night meal, a bit foxed, a bit flustered, but totally in awe whether Harmanpreet’s team would even stand a chance to collect 19 of 6?
But then, could a final equation have been as gettable as what Harman eventually made it? And that’s what made the opening contest between Mandhana-led Trailblazers and Harman-led Supernovas a fascinating one. No sooner had Sophie Ecclestone put a tight lid on the Supernovas’ run chase, going for only 2 in the 19th over, collecting 1 wicket to make their task ever so difficult than Harmanpreet decided to take the matters in her own hand.
With 19 required off the final 6, the right-handed captain dished out tw0 creamy boundaries of the first two balls. The equation reduced to 11 off 4. Then came a dot ball, Jhulan fighting back somehow, having been reduced to a strange punching bag. The fourth ball, surprisingly short and with all the width in the world to accommodate a Jean Claude Van Damme split would be whacked over cover for another four.
Then finally….
Smriti puzzled, Bates stunned, and Taylor watching in disbelief- Jhulan Goswami- didn’t make it an easy night whatsoever even for her die-hard fan.
And then with 7 required off 2, there came another four. 3 needed off 1 with Harmanpreet Kaur furthering her case to be considered for “Wonder Woman.2” should there be any.
Where was a dot ball going to come from, all but Harman and her Supernovas wondered?
Then, finally, Jhulan Goswami was able to bowl one at the good length, at around the off, just marginally moving away from the first of the three stumps. The batswoman on strike would run failingly for a single that never really was. But by then, Tahuhu was run-out.
Absolute excitement anyone would gorge on
Jaipur was on its feet, an entire Rajasthan panting and sweating, as India saw another scintillating evening where one thing was proven.
The Women’s game is rising and with each passing delivery, run saved, boundary hit, tense finish, or a final-over chase, as one saw on May 6, 2019- it’s increasing the barometer of measuring cricketing excellence. It’s creating a wave whose ripples are now successfully flowing in all four directions.
With a third time sitting and watching the proceedings perceptibly not very far off from the legendary Sawai Mansingh, it could be said, they would have had their heart on their hands.
For what is one to do when not just Harman- perhaps responsible for Women’s T20 challenge’s most thrilling knock (so far)-is on song as is Smriti Mandhana (90 earlier today)? Their lofty hits and fluent boundaries are a signature of cricketing excellence in the shortest format.
What is one to do when a Sophie Ecclestone, not even a third of playing experience as a Sana Mir, Chamari, Goswami, Devine or Taylor concedes only 2 from the penultimate over?
But that said, while on the one hand, it may have seemed that a score of 140 from a seemingly batting friendly albeit slow wicket was hugely underwhelming, it cannot be denied that the Women’s cricket has attained a bit of mastery in making something out of low-scoring encounters.
Isn’t it?
During this time, last year, the Supernovas were asked to chase only 130 by the Trailblazers, led very maturely by Smriti Mandhana.
The only difference this time was, that Smriti ended up on the winning side. But her 14 off 9 in 2018 found a way better batting representation; the dashing leftie striking a 90 off 67, including 3 sixes.
On the other hand, Harman, 21 of 23 the last year would see an incremental value in her batting too; her 46 struck with fierce power and precision in Jaipur coming off only 34 balls.
Yet, a commonality binds both the years. Women’s T20 challenge has returned bigger, better, and brighter!