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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.

RSS wants to clear confusion, say scholars

Mumbai: The RSS wants the words ‘Socialism’ and ‘Secularism’ to be removed from the preamble of the Constitution, because they are creating confusion and contradiction, if right-wing scholars are to be believed.


“While the word ‘Socialism’ has lost its meaning, the word ‘Secularism’ is creating unnecessary contradiction in the various provisions of the constitution,” said Durganand Jha of the Centre for Policy Analysis at Patna, while hailing the statement made by RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale for a need to debate the issue of removal of the term ‘Secularism’ and ‘Socialism’ from the preamble of the Indian Constitution.


“The statement has rightly caught attention of the nation. It needs to be thoroughly debated and acted upon,” Jha opined.


In 2020, a petition challenging validity of the words in the Preamble, by Adv. Balram Singh, backed by former Law Minister Subramaniam Swamy and Adv. Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, was struck down by the apex court. When asked about it, Ravindra Mahajan of Ekatma Vikas Samiti in Mumbai, pointed out that mere rejection of the petition doesn’t mean the issue is wrong. “It probably needs to be put before the Supreme Court in a proper manner,” he said.


Jha, however, pointed out that the use of word ‘secular’ in the preamble of the Constitution leads to contradiction with respect to many of its provisions. “Validity of the word will have to be challenged on this ground,” he said.


Inclusion of the term ‘Secularism’ is inconsistent with various provisions of the Constitution of India. Eg. Article 14, 15 and 16 of the constitution give ‘equal rights’, ‘right to equal opportunity’ and ‘prohibit discrimination on grounds of religion, caste, race, sex and place of birth’. While Article 26 bestows to all religionists ‘equal rights in managing their religious affairs’, Article 25 gives an exclusive right to the minorities to ‘propagating religion’ and Articles 28, 29 and 30 give circumstantial advantage to Christianity and Islam where religious conversions accepted. “These articles put Hindu in a disadvantageous situation as it is not a proselytising religion,” Jha said and added that inclusion of word ‘Secularism’ in the preamble of the Constitution of India made those Articles of Indian Constitution which give special rights to the minorities, inconsistent with the preamble of the Constitution. “And hence the word needs to be removed.”


Jha also pointed out that, the word ‘Socialism’ was inducted into the preamble of the Constitution, at around the same time when China, the epitome of ‘Socialism’, was actually embracing capitalism. He also said that the people of India have to decide whether they support the preamble approved by Ambedkar, Nehru, Sardar Patel or the preamble adulterated by Indira Gandhi.


Jha also said that, if something is undone which was done during an emergency when the country was on tenterhooks, and all opposition leaders were in prison, it will be a true homage to the struggle of those who fought and spent months in prison to keep the flame of democracy alive in the country.


"The Preamble of a constitution is not changeable. But this Preamble was changed by the 42nd Constitution (Amendment) Act of 1976. And in the process, if you deeply reflect, we are giving wings to existential challenges. It is nothing but belittling the civilisational wealth and knowledge of this country for thousands of years. It is a sacrilege of the spirit of Sanatan. These words have been added as nasoor (festering wound). These words will create upheaval."

Jagdeep Dhankhar, Vice President

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