Coach lauds team, bemoans lack of exposure

The Indian eves won the three-match One-day series 2-1 and drew the absorbing one-off Test at Shenley. It was India’s first foreign trip after the 1995 World Cup in England.

Former captain Purnima Rau, whose brilliant off-spin bowling brought India back into the Test, was not among the 14 who returned and has stayed back in England.

Sudha, a former India captain, cited lack of match experience and international exposure for the failure to press home theadvantage in the Test.

“I think we could not win the Test match because of these two factors. Okay, we played a lot of matches among ourselves, but playing a Test match is very different.”

The Indian women excelled in fielding which stood them in good stead in the One-day ties in particular.

Sudha, who toured England as a player in 1986, said the conditions this time were far better. “Because of the England Women’s Cricket Board’s merger with the ECB, the facilities provided were of high quality.”

“Also, because of this (merger), the England team were better equipped. Throughout the tour they had a six-member support team, including a sports psychologist, physiologist, bowling and fielding coaches and the manager.”

“Considering the talent we had, if we even had half the facilities we could have been the top team in the world,” the coach said.

Coming close on the heels of the World Cup, where the Indian men’s team received tremendous support from the Asian community, there was goodenthusiasm among the public and a sizeable number of fans of Indian origin followed the team during the tour.

“This tour was very different from 1986. The facilities were good. Also, the weather was good and not a single match was washed out,” Sudha added.

She praised skipper Chandrakanta Ahir, Anjum Chopra and Anju Jain for their success with the bat and Purnima for her fine bowling display.

Anjum struck a century — 100 in 128 balls — in the 86-run win in the second One-dayer at Trent Bridge to help India clinch the series within the distance. She also hit a vital 52 in the thrilling one-wicket win in the first tie.

The finds of the tour were 16-year-old Mithali Raj, the youngest in the team, and Reshma Gandhi. Both scored centuries in a side tie against Ireland.