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By:

Kiran D. Tare

21 August 2024 at 11:23:13 am

The Lady of Lord’s

Yastika Bhatia’s maiden Test century at Lord’s crowns the rise of an elegant wicketkeeper-batter who has quietly become indispensable to India’s new generation. Critics may say that there are flashier cricketers than Yastika Bhatia. She does not possess the raw power of a Smriti Mandhana or the aura of a Harmanpreet Kaur. She rarely dominates highlight reels or social media clips. Instead, she has built her reputation through reliability – a quality far more vital. At a time when white-ball...

The Lady of Lord’s

Yastika Bhatia’s maiden Test century at Lord’s crowns the rise of an elegant wicketkeeper-batter who has quietly become indispensable to India’s new generation. Critics may say that there are flashier cricketers than Yastika Bhatia. She does not possess the raw power of a Smriti Mandhana or the aura of a Harmanpreet Kaur. She rarely dominates highlight reels or social media clips. Instead, she has built her reputation through reliability – a quality far more vital. At a time when white-ball cricket prizes spectacle, the 24-year-old wicketkeeper-batter has become one of India’s finest practitioners of the understated virtues of timing, patience and composure. Bhatia’s 113 against England which powered the Indian women’s side to a historic win at Lord’s was not merely her maiden Test century but the first ever scored by a woman at cricket’s most celebrated venue. The innings helped India seal a comprehensive 270-run victory in the first women’s Test ever staged at Lord’s. Her hundred earned her a place on the Lord’s honours board, where generations of the game’s greatest names have been immortalised. Few entries have carried quite the same symbolism. Until now, no woman’s name had appeared there for a Test century because no women’s Test had ever been played at the ground. Bhatia’s career has mirrored the evolution of Indian women’s cricket itself. Born in Vadodara, she emerged through Gujarat’s domestic circuit at a time when opportunities for young women were expanding but remained far from abundant. A naturally gifted left-hander, she impressed selectors with a technique that appeared more classical than contemporary. Where modern batting often relies on innovation and improvisation, Bhatia’s game is rooted in balance. She plays late, favours placement over power and rarely appears rushed. Such attributes explain why coaches have long regarded her as especially suited to the demands of Test cricket, even though women are offered precious few opportunities to play the format. Modern wicketkeepers are expected to contribute almost as specialist batters while maintaining relentless concentration over long periods. Bhatia has embraced both responsibilities, becoming an important cog in an Indian side that has steadily shed its dependence on a handful of senior stars. That transformation has accelerated dramatically over the past year. India’s maiden Women’s ODI World Cup triumph marked a watershed for the sport, confirming that the country's women could finally translate promise into silverware. Although Bhatia missed that campaign after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury shortly before the tournament, her absence perhaps underscored her growing importance. Months of rehabilitation restored her confidence. If the World Cup represented the one that got away, Lord’s offered redemption. Returning to international cricket only recently, Bhatia produced an innings of remarkable maturity against England’s experienced attack. Her 113 came from 158 balls, balancing restraint with authority as India tightened their grip on the match. She admitted that six months earlier, while beginning rehabilitation, the idea of seeing her name on the Lord’s honours board would have seemed implausible. Those who know her were scarcely surprised. Former Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More, who has mentored Bhatia, has long spoken of her temperament rather than merely her talent. Scoring a century at Lord’s, he observed, is an ambition shared by virtually every cricketer. Achieving it after months away from the game simply reflected the resilience that had always underpinned her cricket. But hers was not a sentimental century assembled through fortune. It was a technically accomplished performance built on judgement outside off stump, crisp drives through the covers and the patience required by the longest format. It showcased precisely why Test cricket continues to matter. Unlike Twenty20, where brilliance can be compressed into a handful of overs, the five-day game rewards concentration accumulated over hours. For Indian women’s cricket, Bhatia’s century represents something larger than an individual milestone. It demonstrates the increasing depth of a side that is no longer defined solely by its biggest names. New heroes are emerging, backed by stronger domestic structures, better coaching and a professionalism unimaginable a decade ago. The honours board at Lord’s records statistics with characteristic restraint. It simply notes that Yastika Bhatia scored a century. Future generations may glance at the name without appreciating the path that led there. But Indian cricket will remember that the first woman to reach three figures at Lord’s was not merely making history. She was announcing that a new generation has arrived.

A Valuable Resource

Updated: Feb 10, 2025

biodegradable

Dear Readers, hopefully you have now prepared yourself to segregate your household waste into ‘wet’ or ‘biodegradable’ and ‘dry’ or ‘non-biodegradable’ waste categories. Further, you have now decided to start composting. You would have got some guidelines from my previous articles in this series. But one always needs actual hands-on training or guidance from the experts. (Eventually, over the period, you yourself will be an expert in this field and will start providing guidance to others who need it!).


In my last week’s article, I had briefly introduced one NGO namely Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal (Enviro-Vigil) working in Thane, Dombivali-Kalyan and in the rural area beyond Kalyan. More about Green Living Consultancy provided by this NGO.


Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal provides consultancy and services to the cooperative housing societies, individual residences, educational institutes, hotels and restaurants, corporate offices etc. in the following sectors.

Waste Management and Waste Audit:


Waste or Garbage is not really a ‘waste’ per se but is valuable resource. Proper segregation of the household waste and further utilization of the segregated waste can earn additional revenue to the residential societies. PDM provides guidance in this regard. They have a team of experts who will visit your house or your society, locate a suitable area or space under your guidance for setting up of a bio- or vermi-composting unit for your society.


They will guide and help you in preparing a suitable pit for biocomposting. At the individual level, you can use a plastic bucket for biocomposting at household level as described in my previous article. But at the society or community level, you need a bigger well-constructed pit.


On the basis of number of households in a society and how much biodegradable waste is generated, this team of experts will give you  the specifications about the size of the composting pit, it’s design etc. and will give you an on site demonstration about how to arrange the raw materials in different layers, how to add the biodegradable waste etc.


They also manage this compost pit for certain period and will eventually train the gardener or other responsible person appointed by the society for this task. Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal has set up such biocomposting units at many residential complexes in Thane.


Apart from services in the waste management sector, Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal also provides consultancy services in Energy Management, Waste water recycling, Rainwater Harvesting, Setting up a Butterfly Garden and performing Green Audit etc. 


Apart from these services, Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal is also helping societies and other establishments in assessment and enhancement of biodiversity within their premises. Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal has recently launched an initiative called ‘MY LAKES’, to spread awareness about the lakes in Thane city.


This NGO also organizes ‘Nandanvan’ Beautiful Garden Competition for the gardening enthusiasts in Thane as well as in Kalyan, Dombivali, Titwala etc. In addition, this NGO has a few ongoing projects in which you can participate.  For more information about this and other activities conducted by PDM,  please contact the following numbers: 

Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal Dombivali: 9833046634

Paryavaran Dakshata Mandal Thane:  9372358454


(The author is an environmentalist. Views personal.)

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