Known for crumbling in pressure situations previously, the Indian women’s team successfully overcame nerves in tense situations to lift their maiden World Cup on November 2. Arundhati Reddy, part of the squad, told The Indian Express that visualisation techniques and meditation had helped the team go past the line. She would also credit coach Amol Muzumdar and Harmanpreet Kaur for creating what she called the most beautiful team bond ever, and her role in lifting the spirits of Jemimah Rodriguez through her rough patch, as acknowledged by the hero of the semifinals.
How does it feel to be the first Women’s World Cup champions from India?
Arundhati Reddy: It feels great. It’s been a childhood dream of mine to win a World Cup for India because I started playing cricket after watching the 2007 World Cup (Men’s team in the T20 World Cup). So that really inspired me to pick up the sport and start playing. So I am just really happy that I could do it myself and win the Cup for India.
The side lost three games in a row (against South Africa, Australia, and England). What conversations were you having?
Arundhati Reddy: Even before the three losses, we didn’t play our best cricket. The three losses obviously hit us very hard. However, one positive aspect of this team was how well we gelled as a unit. Because usually in such situations, most teams crumble. But with our team, it gave us an opportunity to come together stronger as a team. We had meetings where we told ourselves that this had happened. We have lost three games. Let us just accept it. But what do we do ahead? There were a lot of inputs from a lot of players as to what we can do and how we want to go about it.
When did the preparation for the tournament start, and what sort of team bonding exercises were the players doing to gel?
Arundhati Reddy: The preparation for us started quite a few months back, before the World Cup. We got together as a team and had a lot of camps. There was this time when we went to a resort in Vizag. We did a lot of team drills and a lot of stuff like that. Also, the major thing that helped us was that we started doing a lot of visualisations and meditation coming into this tournament and also in the tournament. That is something that has helped a lot of the girls. Just being calm under pressure. Obviously, with visualisation, before you take the field, you have already done it so many times in your head that once you are on the field, it becomes all the easier. So, those are the kind of sessions that really helped us.
It actually started with A.I. Harrsha, who is the strength and conditioning coach of the team. He and Amol (Muzumdar) sir had discussions where he wanted us to get better because a lot of times we have crumbled in crunch situations. We have been a team which always comes really close, but we are not able to cross the line. They identified the fact that we have to do something mentally about it. So, this is why we started our visualisation sessions, meditation, and breathing sessions, where Harrsha used to constantly make us do these things. Even before the games, we as a team used to get together and have these sessions where we used to discuss the scenarios that might happen in the game. We used to visualise accordingly, and that really helped us in the tournament.
Jemimah Rodrigues has credited you for your emotional support. Can you tell us about that?
Arundhati Reddy: She didn’t have a great start to the tournament. Obviously, she had two ducks and could not perform as well as she wanted to. But I remember telling her before the tournament started, I don’t know why, but I have this feeling that this will be the best tournament ever, personally, for her. I still remember that after the two ducks, we had a conversation. I still ended up telling her trust me on this, this will be the best tournament ever. She laughed it off that day. But then again, obviously, we are best of friends. For me, she is like family. She is someone who has been there for me through my tough times. Obviously, we have seen each other’s ups and downs for quite a few years now. Again, it was an incredible innings from her against Australia that day. It is once in a lifetime kind of an innings to do it at that stage, under that pressure, in her home ground. It doesn’t get better than that. The bond we share is very pure.
You did not get much game time. How easy or hard was it for you personally to stay motivated?
Arundhati Reddy: See, it is difficult when you are not playing. But then, the World Cup is a tournament that I told myself I don’t want to think too much about myself. Because we have come here as a team.
We want to do well as a team here. And I want to contribute to the team in any way possible. Like, even if I am not playing, I want to be the best 12th. If I am going to field inside, I give my 100%. If I am going into practice, I still get into practice thinking I am preparing for the game that is coming ahead. So, that is the mindset that I wanted to be in. It is never nice not to play because you also want to be part of it. And again, I always want to be there for them. And do my bit where I can help people in the team.
What is special about this regime under Amol Muzumdar and Harmanpreet Kaur which helped India maiden ICC title?
Arundhati Reddy: On the field, obviously, they support us a lot. They motivate us a lot. That way, it helps the girls.
And the best thing that they have done is to create the environment that they have. Because if you ask anybody in the team, this is the best environment they have ever played in their entire cricketing careers. Everybody is happy for each other’s success. Everybody is looking out for everybody else, even when things are not going well. So, this is a very special team. And the credit should be given to the leadership group of Amol sir, Harry Di and Smriti. To have actually created this environment of having a good vibe around the team. Where people can speak up. People are honest with each other.
What stands out is that everybody in the team believes that on their day, they can be a match-winner. And that is a confidence that goes in the dressing room. Because, obviously, a lot of people are experienced. We have had a lot of years of domestic cricket experience. Obviously, WPL from the past 3 years has helped us a lot. In just playing under pressure. Playing in a crowd.
And the second part is that. I don’t know how to explain it properly. But it’s just the most beautiful bond you can have as a team. Because every game, we were all together. There was never a time when the negativity or anything came in.
After an emotional win against Australia, how did you manage to keep your focus on the final as a team?
Arundhati Reddy: So obviously, the Australia win was very overwhelming for us. Because a lot of emotions from everybody came out that day. Because as a team, we know what it means for us to beat Australia. Because that is the hurdle that we were finding difficult to cross for many years. But to have done it at that stage and the way it happened, it was very overwhelming for us.
But just the next day, we had a meeting. The support staff spoke to us about how, ‘okay we have got this victory. But the job is still not done yet.’ The reason why we came into this World Cup was to win the World Cup. And not to just be happy about beating Australia. So that is the conversation that happened. Once the meeting was done, we were again switched on about the South Africa game. I mean, we enjoyed the victory against Australia. Because obviously, a win like that, you are meant to enjoy it. You are meant to be proud of it. But we very quickly put it aside, put it behind us and focused on the South Africa game from the next day.
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