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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.

Collector, officials trapped in siege

Mumbai: In a major development, scores of government officials, including the Palghar Collector Dr. Indurani Jakhar, were trapped after thousands of angry tribals, farmers and activists laid siege to the Collectorate building here on Tuesday evening, the organisers said.

 

The long-march with over 50,000 participating started from different parts of the district on Monday and culminated after traversing around 70 kms at the Collectorate, where they were stopped by a huge posse of police.

 

“We requested permission to enter and stage our dharna inside the sprawling building compound, but they flatly refused. We had no option but to occupy the main road that links Palghar-Boisar, creating traffic jams. We have now blocked  all the entry and exit points, while the district officials announced the closure of the road indefinitely late in the evening,” All India Kisan Sabha President Dr. Ashok Dhawale told ‘The Perfect Voice’ from the venue.

 

Marking the biggest agitation in over a year, more than 50,000 trooped out on roads from various villages and hamlets across the district for various demands.

 

These include scrapping of the Wadhawan mega-port and Murbe port projects, restoration of the MNREGA, implementation of the Forest Rights Act and PESA, vesting of all ‘inaam’ and government lands in the name of the tillers, cancelling the Smart Meter Scheme, Repeal of new Labour Codes, drinking and irrigation water supply, plus others like enhanced facilities for education, health, employment, etc.

 

“We had already informed the authorities on the long march and we are hopeful that we shall be called for talks on Wednesday. We shall not budge from here till all our demands are conceded in writing and implemented within a time-frame,” said a grim Dr. Dhawale.

 

Spearheaded by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), it has the participation of  several fronts like AIKS, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Student’s Federation of India (SFI) and Adivasi Adhikar Rashtriya Manch (AARM).

 

The long march is being led by Dr. Dhawale along with AIDWA National General Secretary Mariam Dhawale, CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Vijoo Krishnan, Central Committee member Dr Ajit Nawale, CITU State Secretary Vinod Nikole, two-term MLA from Dahanu Kiran Gahala and others.

 

A party spokesperson said that the long-march started from Charoti in Dahanu tehsil and en route, hundreds joined the crowds. After an overnight halt at Manor last night, it proceeded to the district Collectorate on (Tuesday) evening where the indefinite siege began.

 

“So far, everything is proceeding peacefully. There has been no violence or any coercive action from the police side. We are optimistic that our meeting on Wednesday will pass off successfully,” added Dr. Dhawale.

 

The long march saw major traffic snarls on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway, arterial roads in Palghar, Thane and beyond as people were stuck for hours as the vehicles moved at snail’s pace since Monday.


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