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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.

BJP stays sensitively neutral

New Delhi: In the wake of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's untimely death, a whirlwind of political maneuvering has engulfed the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and its Sharad Pawar-led faction (NCP-SP). Yet, amid the frenzy, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken the high road, choosing to stay sensitively neutral out of deep respect for the departed leader. This deliberate restraint from BJP's senior leaders signals a maturity, indicating that they understand that no politicking in the face of such a poignant tragedy. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has underscored this stance, affirming that the BJP will respect and support every decision the NCP makes.

 

As speculation swirls - from selecting a new NCP legislature party leader and positioning Ajit Pawar's wife, Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar, as Deputy CM, to whispers of a merger between the two NCP factions - the BJP's national leadership remains neutral. "It is improper to indulge in politics during this sorrowful and sudden loss," they assert. The authority to shape NCP's leadership in the Maharashtra Assembly and its governmental role rests squarely with the party itself. Whatever path the NCP chooses, the BJP pledges its honor and backing.

 

This principled detachment extends to venerating Sharad Pawar as a senior statesman. The BJP respects his choices for his party, be it a potential NCP-SP merger or other matters. Ajit Pawar's void has left Maharashtra's government and politics hollow, prompting the NCP to accelerate moves that anointing Sunetra Pawar as legislature party leader and advancing her Deputy CM claim to signal intent.

 

Conversely, Sharad Pawar and NCP-SP continue pushing merger talks, citing a January 16 meeting of senior leaders under Sharad and Ajit Pawar that allegedly greenlit unification for February 8. Merger buzz has bubbled for four to five months, yet no formal announcement materialized until recently, only for NCP veteran Praful Patel to clarify today that no such decision emerged from that meeting.


Dynastic Skirmishes

Tensions hint at a political clash between Sharad Pawar and Sunetra Pawar; sources say Sharad voiced irritation over her ascent to legislature leader and Deputy CM contender. Dynastic skirmishes are par for the course in family-led parties, witness Sunetra's 2024 Lok Sabha defeat in Baramati to her sister-in-law NCP-SP's Supriya Sule. The BJP wisely seeks distance from this familial fray.

 

Recent meetings between NCP seniors Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare, and Chhagan Bhujbal with CM Fadnavis, twice yesterday and today, intensified talk of Sunetra as the next Deputy CM. Pressed on whether she might become Maharashtra's first female Deputy Chief Minister, Fadnavis responded crisply: "That's the NCP's call. We'll support it fully."

 

As per sources, BJP's central office has directed all leaders to stay silent on NCP's leader selection, Deputy CM bid, or merger, deeming them internal affairs. In tribute to Ajit Pawar, the party commits to endorsing the NCP legislature party's choices. This is statesmanship at its finest that letting grief guide decorum over opportunism. In Maharashtra's cutthroat arena, the BJP's restraint could redefine political grace.

 

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