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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.

Overcoming Challenges: Solutions for Junior Doctors

Updated: Oct 22, 2024

Junior Doctors

For the last two months, we have all been reading about the rape-murder case of a young lady doctor in Kolkata. Being a doctor and a father of two daughters, I felt extremely dehumanised and furious.


In the aftermath of this horrific incident, nearly every television channel focused on boosting their TRPs by sensationalising the story. One channel repeatedly emphasised that the female doctor had worked non-stop for 36 hours. I couldn’t help but wonder, 'Has anything really changed in the past 30 years since I was a resident?' For doctors, this gruelling routine is the norm, and we rarely speak out. Administrators are aware but remain complacent because doctors don't complain. Meanwhile, the public remains oblivious to the reality and continues to suffer. This article delves into the challenges faced by junior doctors in India and offers potential solutions. Let’s explore them:


Challenge 1: The number of medical seats is significantly low—while the ideal doctor-patient ratio is 1:1000, in India, it stands at 1:1700.

Solutions:

A) increasing medical seats to align with the population

B) Retaining doctors within the country

C) Implementing policies to encourage doctors to serve in rural areas

D) Improve infrastructure and telemedicine facilities

Challenge 2: Excessive workload and extended working hours—Junior doctors face no fixed duty schedules or regular breaks, resulting in burnout and stress and an increased risk of medical errors due to mental exhaustion.

Solution: Establish fixed duty hours for doctors and make this legally binding. At the very least, law-abiding doctors will adhere to the rule if it is made mandatory.


Challenge 3: Dealing with pressure from seniors and inadequate mentorship—seniors often overburden juniors with excessive tasks, as they too face similar pressures. Some even delegate personal errands to juniors. Additionally, a structured learning framework does not exist for junior doctors.

Solution:

A) Senior doctors should be mandated to mentor juniors.

B) Residency programs must be strictly enforced, with a more structured and standardised curriculum that includes practical assessments.

Challenge 4: Low stipends, financial stress, and poor living conditions in medical colleges—most resident doctors come from lower-middle-class families and already face financial strain. Hostel and mess facilities in colleges are substandard, and the stipend is inadequate, especially compared to the heavy workload and high cost of living in cities.

Solution:

A) Increase stipend

B) Ensure better living conditions and infrastructure in medical colleges.


Challenge 5: Safety from violence—this has become a major concern, with doctors facing verbal and physical abuse on an almost daily basis.

Solution:

A) Junior doctors should receive training in communication skills and mob psychology.

B) Senior doctors should be present when delivering bad news, ensuring that it is communicated in the presence of junior doctors.

C) Increase the number of security personnel and install CCTV cameras in workplaces.

D) Enforce strict laws and ensure their implementation against violence.

E) All doctors should be trained in self-defence.


Challenge 6: Mental health issues—stress from senior doctors, long working hours, high expectations, and the pressure of caring for critically ill patients contribute to depression and anxiety among junior doctors.

Solution: Regular counselling

Challenge 7: Poor work-life balance―the demanding residency leaves little time for personal life, relationships, and self-care, leading to burnout.

Solution: Fix working hours and mandatory leaves.

Challenge 9: Limited resources and infrastructure in hospitals, particularly in overcrowded public facilities, lead to errors in the accurate diagnosis and treatment of critically ill patients.

Solution: Effective resource allocation and investment in infrastructure are essential.

Challenge 10: Administrative issues—delays in decision-making and inadequate allocation of funds contribute to increased stress for doctors.

Solution:

A) Streamline administrative processes

B) Ensuring clear, transparent, and efficient implementation of policies.


There may be other issues that need to be addressed; however, the major problems with us, the so-called intellectual doctors, are:

1) A lack of unity and a tendency towards selfishness.

A culture of tolerance that prevents us from openly discussing our challenges, allowing politicians and administrators to exploit the situation.


We must unite, speak out, and advocate for our issues. No one else will solve our problems; it is up to us to fight for ourselves. If we do not, we will be the ones ultimately blaming our sacred profession.


Jago Doctors! Jago!


(The author is a leading cardiac surgeon in Mumbai. Views personal.)

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