Mithali Raj Leads Indian Women's Cricket Team To Victory

Mithali Raj Leads Indian Women's Cricket Team To Victory

Indian skipper Mithali Raj has led her team to a stunning victory over England, a development which is going to heal the wounds of India's dismal performance by the men's cricket team. Mithali Raj led the team to a victory at the fourth ever test victory when the Indian women's cricket team defeated England by 6 wickets. 31 year old Mithali's able guidance helped the team to score a win over their British rivals.

The Indian skipper has been quoted by The Hindu as saying“This great Test win, which honestly I was not expecting when we left for the England tour, should ensure greater recognition and respect for women cricketers.”
“Being part of two of India’s wins (of the only four India won) is definitely a great feeling. But this one is more special than the Taunton win last time around for the simple reason that we were playing a Test after a gap of eight years,” Mithali also indicated to the media.

Mithali now adds to the growing list of successful lady athletes from Hyderabad including Sania Mirza and Saina Nehwal. Mithali averaged 52.16 in the 9 Tests and 50.43 in the 148 ODIs played since the year 2002.“I am honoured to lead India to this great win and I must thank my parents, coach RSR Murthy (SCR) and John Manoj sir (whenever she is in the city she trains at the St. John’s Foundation) for having so much faith in me,” Mithali was quoted by the media as saying.

“This is the kind of performance which will obviously make us all (the entire Indian team which has interestingly eight Test debutants against England in that great win) dream big. It’s a great motivator for every one of us. The winning feeling is something totally different,” she also said.

Well=known former Indian batsman V.V.S Laxman congratulated Mithali on the “very significant win.” The Indian women's team with 8 debutants and 13 newcomers scored its first win in 8 years as against the dismal performance of their male counterparts. The lady cricketers scored a 6-win over Charlotte Edwards led England in the one-off Test and secured an impressive win at Wormsley.

During this 4 day Test,India chased a score of 181 runs in the second innings. India did really well with half centuries from Smriti Madhana and Mithali Raj. N. Niranjana shone bright with a 4 wicket haul.Captain Mithali Raj was happy with the win. "Its a happy feeling. Very thrilled. We are even more happy because we won the Test with 13 newcomers in the squad against a team that had won the Ashes. Beating England in England is a great feeling," the Indian skipper told DNA news.

Raj also said “Our girls were more keen on winning the match since they did not want to lose this opportunity which they got after eight years. We were not thinking on that perspective and believed in the simplest thing. Kept calm and performed irrespective of what is followed or who is saying what.” Raj also spoke of her individual achievement as something she was used to and said "These situations are not new to me or something out of the blue. It's been a part of my career and I think I am enjoying it now.”