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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.

Kunal Kamra moves HC against Sahyog portal 

Mumbai: Stand-up comic Kunal Kamra and Senior Advocate Haresh Jagtiani have challenged the validity of the government’s Sahyog portal – an online mechanism used that issues content takedown directions to digital platforms – in the Bombay High Court.

 

The portal gives content withdrawal directives to platforms like X, YouTube, Meta, etc, and Kamra-Jagtiani have raised serious constitutional questions centering on freedom of speech, due process and the scope of government powers over online content.

 

The petitioners have also questioned the Information Technology (Intermediary) Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rule 3 (1)(d) Amendment Rules, 2023, under which Sahyog was established.

 

Under the amended rule, intermediaries are required to take-down or disable access to information used to commit an ‘unlawful act’ within 36 hours of receiving actual knowledge of such content.

 

The rule further mandates that takedown directions must clearly specify the legal basis for the action, the nature of the alleged unlawful act, the relevant statutory position and the precise online location of the content.

 

The Sahyog portal was developed as a dedicated cyber platform that automated this process and facilitated the quick removal of unlawful online information, data or

communication links.

 

Control on Internet content

The petition by Kamra-Jagtiani, filed through advocate Meenaz Kakalia, claims that the portal enables the government to unilaterally block/takedown online content without complying with mandatory legal safeguards.

 

They include: issuing prior notice to the content originator and giving the affected party an opportunity to be heard. They pointed out that such procedural safeguards have been repeatedly emphasised by the Supreme Court as essential to uphold the constitutional validity of the content-blocking provisions.

 

The duo argued that the absence of these safeguards renders both Rule 3(1)(d) and the Sahyog portal ultra-vires the IT Act, 2000.

 

“Given the conspicuous absence of such safeguards, Rule 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules and the Sahyog Portal are rendered ultra vires the IT Act and contrary to categorical judgments of the Supreme Court and this High Court,” the plea by Kamra-Jagtiani said.

 

Rules arbitrary

Kamra contended that the impugned rule and portal expose all online information to arbitrary takedowns, provide no remedy against such actions, and effectively vest unbridled power in many government officers at the Centre and States, and it strikes at the heart of democracy and peoples’ right to access information.

 

Claiming that these provisions are ex-facie unconstitutional as it allows blocking or takedown of all Internet content on vague and broad grounds such as information being “unlawful” or in violation of any law administered by the Centre or States.

 

These powers amount to ‘an unreasonable restriction on freedom of speech and expression’, exceeding the narrowly defined limits under Article 19(2) of the Constitution, they argued.

 

In their plea, the petitioners contended that orders for blocking/ disabling access to online information can only be issued under the IT Act, Sec. 69A, read with the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009.

 

Previous challenge in Karnataka, appeal pending

Incidentally, last year the micro-blogging site X had challenged the Sahyog portal in the Karnataka High Court, on similar lines. 


In Sep. 2025, Justice M. Nagaprasanna upheld the portal’s validity. Currently, an appeal against the order is pending before the Karnataka HC division bench.

 


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