It’s Rana’s world. She is making up for all the lost time now. She is making the world roll, and revolve around her. She found her mojo when India was looking for one. She is in the process of fixing all the broken pieces from the team’s pillars, and she is doing it with paddle sweeps and a powerful smile.
In between Rana’s partnerships with Pooja and ‘ Sneh celebration punch’, there is a Rajeshwari who stands in the shadow. Some players love the spotlight, and some love to stay away from it. Rajeshwari cares for neither. Ask her. Ask anyone. Blame her humble beginnings too.
She has a fifer in the World Cup. An outstanding record in limited-overs cricket since then. She loves overseas conditions and those conditions love her back. Of course, she owns the Indian entry to ball of the century. Look up each and every stat and rarely you would find one without her name on it.
These stats and numbers tell you a story. but in parts. Probably wee-bit of what’s happening in the field. Of course, it tells you how good players are but watching a match hits you differently. There is a different narration that takes you to the alternate universe and the beauty of cricket lies in it. That alternate universe would be Rajeshwari’s world. In that world, everything begins with her.
She doesn’t have to do much but that’s enough to undo the batter. Her ploy to trap the opponent is simple but is coupled with some good variation. This ploy creates pressure and other players do profit from this. Either way, she loves it and ends them all with a jumping high-five. Her go-to gesture.
In this World Cup, she stood behind every single victory that India had. Even during losses, her numbers were good.
Nobody remembers her 4/46 when Harmanpreet Kaur spoke with her bat and returned with a ton during the warm-ups. Four Pakistan batters fell for her spin web but the ‘Pooja-Rana rescue’ ran with the headlines. When a timid India rolled over before the hosts, Rajeshwari had 2/46. She even trapped Melie Kerr, who has owned the visitors for quite some time now.
From a sharp catch at the backward point to trapping Henry plumb in front, Rajeshwari’s brilliance was certainly a zero match for twin tons from Smriti and Harmanpreet against West Indies.
When Rajeshwari did all the work to set Amy Jones up, Kaur appeared into the scene with an outstanding catch to send her back. Of course, the wicket went to Rajeshwari but not the praise and she wouldn’t expect one too. The ‘below-her-standards’ performance came against Australia where she went wicketless but again, she was the 2nd most economical Indian bowler and third overall that day.
Hamilton’s spin ally track worked well for India and the bowlers had fun teasing the batters. Close catchers. Clueless batters. Drop catches. Repeat.
The day certainly belonged to the bowlers. If you look at the scorecard, you look into wickets but not that 1.50 runs per over that induced those wickets. On any other day, 10-4-15-1 would earn someone a player of the match award but not today.
Unfortunately, We don’t romanticize ‘good’ and is seldom ‘neutral’, aren’t we?
But again, in the World of Rana, being a Rajeshwari is also a need of the hour as they are the catalyst that bridges the gap between heroes and superheroes.
