 "‘Indian women’s cricket team doesn’t play as much cricket as men, maturity takes bit longer to set in’: Anjum Chopra")
There’s no doubt that the 2-2 scoreline in the men’s Test series between India and England actually feels like a series triumph for most Indian fans, because of the way the last two Tests at Old Trafford and the Oval panned out. There is indeed a lot to celebrate and also to reflect on .
But we have to ask ourselves – because of the men’s Test series that was on over 5 Tests, did we forget to properly celebrate the achievements of the Indian women’s cricket team in England this time?
The Indian team clinched a historic series win in the T20I series (3-2) and then a 2-1 win in the ODIs. Going into this tour of England, the Indian women’s team had lost all six of their away bilateral T20I series vs England, which featured more than one match. Suffice to say, the way the Indian team led by Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored a magnificent century (102) in the third ODI, conducted themselves was a joy to watch and celebrate.
Former India captain Anjum Chopra was one of the pioneers who shaped Indian women’s cricket. Anjum, who made her India debut in February 1995, played a lot of her cricket in the pre-BCCI days (BCCI took over management of the Indian women’s cricket team in a merger with the Women’s Cricket Association of India in November 2006) and has seen the women’s game in the country change, develop, evolve and be re-shaped over the decades. For Anjum, the most heartening thing to see this time in England was the way the Indian players believed in themselves and their own abilities and skill-sets.
In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, Anjum, who scored over 3600 international runs and had a fantastic international career that spanned 17 years, talks about the big highlights of the Indian women’s team’s very successful tour of England this time and analyses in detail all the things that went right and also everything that the team still needs to work on. Anjum also talks about the specific growth of individual players and also what some of them need to work on more.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIndia are the co-hosts, along with Sri Lanka, of the next edition of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, which will be played from September 30 to November 2 this year. The Indian team will, in fact, be playing ODIs next only in this tournament. In the run-up to this mega event, this immensely successful tour will no doubt be a huge shot in the arm for the Indian team.
This is Part 1 of an exclusive interview with Anjum Chopra on Indian women’s cricket in which she decodes the tour of England and India’s wins in both the T20I and ODI series.
An incredibly successful tour of England for the Indian women’s team this time, winning in both the T20I and the ODI series. Must be a big shot in the arm for the team, especially with a women’s ODI World Cup around the corner, in India and Sri Lanka. Let’s talk about the ODI series first. Your take on how things came together for the team in this series, particularly in the third match, where the team put up a score of 300 plus…
Anjum: It was really so nice to see the Indian players have belief and faith in their own abilities. When they (India) won the first match (by 4 wickets, chasing down 259 successfully) and things started working for them, it was nice to see a good, collective performance from the team in that first game. Then they went to Lord’s (for the second ODI, which India lost by 8 wickets by the DLS Method) and I felt that they were a bit overawed by the ground, which happens to some cricketers. The moment you step onto Lord’s, you feel – ‘oh, this is more than just a cricket ground’. So, especially for the players who hadn’t played there before or even those who haven’t played a lot of cricket at Lord’s, the ground can be a bit more imposing than some other venues. You could tell by the way Deepti Sharma played (experienced at playing at Lord’s), because she has played 10-11 times (before) at that venue, she has been part of the Hundred team as well (London Spirit Women who won their maiden Women’s Hundred title in 2024, clinching the final at Lord’s vs Welsh Fire Women).
So, how Deepti absorbed the pressure and played as a batter or as a bowler vis-à-vis others – there was a stark difference in the approach. The highlight for me was Harmanpreet Kaur scoring the hundred (102 off 84 in the third ODI to be declared Player of the Match). A century, of course, always means a lot, but this one was an important one, according to me, because it was a chanceless knock. Also, the mindset she came in with – the fact that she wanted to score her runs in the V and down the ground and not behind square, even though the wicket was slightly slow. But she was not keen on playing the paddle-sweeps or deft touches to the short-third or short-fine regions. She was keen on playing shots in front of the wicket, which was a really heartening thing to see. Also, she didn’t lose her concentration when she entered her fifties or seventies.
She did pick up a niggle and had to be attended to, but she didn’t lose her focus. That told me that there was consistency and also a certain kind of adaptability – to switch from the T20 format to a longer format – which is not an easy thing to do. But we have seen that happen more often in the women’s team. They are now more aware of that and more realistic about how to approach that change (in formats). For Harman to come in at this age and at this point in her career and make such a strong statement for herself, and not for anybody else – that is important. There is a vast difference between Jemimah scoring a century at this time and Harman scoring a century. And then (for India) to come back and defend the target – I felt that England didn’t have the same kind of skill or temperament that India had, when they were chasing (in the first ODI) and that is where I think they (England) lost.
Nat Sciver-Brunt (England captain, scored 98 in the 3rd ODI in a losing cause) can’t always take them home alone. She has done it many times before, but she also needs support. Then the way Kranti Goud picked up those six wickets (6/52 in the 3rd ODI) was fantastic to see. I still feel, though, that there are areas that India need to improve on. For one, they can’t play with one seamer and four spinners – that cannot be a bowling attack. They went ahead with that combination and won, so you can’t really question it, as such. Had they lost, people would have come down much more heavily on that selection call. But it’s not about just asking a question for the sake of asking questions. I have been vocal about this. You need 5-6 good bowlers. You can’t have a Charani or a Kranti Goud bowling as frontline bowlers. It worked this time, but it’s not something we should be relying on every time.
You need experience and you need a little more variety. Maybe the mindset of the team was to try and give everyone a feel of international cricket. I can understand that perspective. This team doesn’t play 40-45 ODIs a year, they play somewhere around 10-11 ODIs every year, so the exposure that is needed and the awareness that is needed of understanding their game and the sport overall, that comes slightly slower than the men’s team. Maturity takes a bit longer to set in.
One thing that you talked about a fair bit, about the women’s team, when we last spoke, was consistency. You, very rightly, emphasised the importance of consistency in international cricket. Now, for someone watching from the outside, the way this team won the T20I series and then the ODI series, this might be taken as a classic example of consistent cricket and that too in foreign conditions. As someone who sees and reads the game as a player and an expert, what is your take on that…
Anjum: It’s really great that the Indian team managed to win both series. Had they lost the One Day series, that would have been disappointing, because there is a World Cup coming up and also you felt that woman for woman, India had a better chance of winning the ODI series. The fact that they did manage to win it means that their confidence levels will be much higher. As far as consistency is concerned, I will say that it was great to see the team win the T20I series 3-2 and then the ODI series 2-1 , because England is a World Champion team. India has never won a World Cup, but England has (4 ODI World Cup titles and 1 T20 World Cup title). This was a series played in England’s own backyard and these were scorelines that will be acceptable, any day. This was not a one-sided contest. Earlier, in situations where the Indian team was playing a higher-ranked, more competitive team, the team often didn’t have the answers or the depth to soak in the pressure and bounce back hard. They have always had depth in the batting department, but this time they really showcased it.
The individual performances – Jemimah Rodrigues, Smriti Mandhana, Amanjot Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol – all of them scoring runs – that is the depth that they managed to showcase this time. Every game, there was somebody or the other who stepped up to the plate. In the bowling department, even though I don’t think this is the ideal bowling combination, individual bowlers played their part – Sneh Rana, Deepti Sharma, Kranti Goud as a youngster making her debut in England, picked up wickets and was very confident of her abilities. This tour gave us glimpses of the path that the team wants to follow and how they are going to go about it. For ages, the team has been ‘working hard in the camps’ – that is a standard thing that we always get to hear. For ages, we have been ‘improving our fitness and fielding’ – that is not something that is new. But how favourable results were achieved this time – that is something new.
It’s not just about the words from the Indian captain, but the results that the captain has managed to walk away with. That is a big positive for me. Winning a series always keeps you in that positive frame of mind that ‘we are not shying away from something different. We know that we are backing our strengths’. So, at least the confidence in their self-ability is there. And that stems from the fact that you have been consistent individually in your performances.
Let’s talk about the T20I series now in a bit more detail. That was a historic series win for the Indian team - their first against this opposition - that too on English soil - We have spoken in the past about the areas of improvement in the women’s team - your take on what you saw in the T20I series and what impressed you the most…
Anjum: The thing that stood out the most for me in the T20I and ODI series was the fact that the self-belief that individual Indian players have in their own skill-sets has gone up. In the past, it was a collective Indian team going and competing against an opposition (individual brilliance and self-belief, as such, was missing). Of course, they are collectively competing (as a team), but what I have noticed on this particular tour is that individually also they have also improved their game. And that is the biggest growth in Indian women’s cricket, in totality, for me. It has been a very conscious step-up – a move by the entire team towards getting the results. Individual players have begun to believe in their skill sets and, of course, they have worked towards that. For example, for a Smriti Mandhana to get a hundred (112 off 62 balls in the first T20I vs England, which India won by 97 runs) and not getting out in the 80s and 90s. Yes, she was dropped when she was on 3 or 4 and then there was another chance as well, so I won’t say that it was a chanceless knock, but the thing we should focus on is that she (Smriti) didn’t get out in the 80s or 90s and realised how she could get from 80 to 100 or 90 to 100.
Even though she has been around for over a decade for the Indian team, this has been a growth for her own skill level, which we saw in the first T20I. In the second T20I, India were about 3 down when the partnership between Jemimah (Rodrigues) and Amanjot (Kaur) was forged (93-run stand). Jemimah, of course, played very well, up and down that batting order. But for her to have that kind of a partnership with Amanjot and for both players to have that belief - ‘yes, we can hang around’ and also for Amanjot to play that kind of a knock, even after Jemimah got out, was significant for me. That is because if I look at the individual stories of Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur, I realise that individual players have grown independently.
Could you elaborate on that a bit more? The growth that the cricket analyst in you saw in individual Indian women’s team players, on this tour of England…
Anjum: Jemimah, we know can bat up and down that batting order, but she has to be consistent, because there is a Harleen Deol, who has batted very well. So, for Jemimah, it boils down to how she is batting to keep her place in the side and how she counters the situations she finds herself in, individually and independently. So, I saw that growth in Jemimah. For Amanjot, I realised that playing against international bowlers in England - a country she is touring for the first time – and the fact that though she has been around, she is not vastly experienced. But for her to play every ball on its merit, to hit the ball over the mid-off fielder and get a boundary or place the ball well and run a couple of runs – I saw that growth in Amanjot. Then, in the third game, which India lost, someone like Radha Yadav was trying her best in the fielding department to prove her worth. And in the fourth match (T20I) she (left-arm spinner Radha Yadav) received the Player of the Match award (2/15). The last game, they (India) should have won.
Then there’s someone like Deepti Sharma – in the ODIs. Earlier, if the team was 2 or 3 down that meant it was all over. Game finished. 120-130 all out in a T20I game or 205-215 all out in an ODI game, or unable to chase down a target. Team India has faced these scenarios in the past. But how the T20I series was won – it showed a shift in overall performance – where individual players and the way they performed, as individuals is what made the biggest difference. Also, I don’t think that England played very well. Their bowlers were poor and the Indian players capitalised on that. The biggest highlight for me on this tour was the belief that the Indian players showed in their own abilities.
The Indian spinners really led from the front, in the T20I series in particular. The top three wicket-takers of the series were all Indian and all spinners - Shree, Deepti and Radha. Your take on their performance and what it means specifically for this team going ahead, especially with an ODI World Cup coming up in home conditions in just over a month’s time…
Anjum: I feel spinners will play a big role, but I also feel that, at the end of the day, we need six bowlers to provide solidity. The growth that we saw in Shree Charani (left-arm spinner), performing the way she did I think has been very impressive I observed how she bowled in different phases of the game, how she varied her pace, how skillful she has turned out to be – and doing all that in a foreign land is not easy, irrespective of who the player is and how experienced he or she is – it’s never easy. So, I felt that that growth in this generation has happened and she (Shree Charani) has learnt how to hold her nerve in a difficult situation. Shree Charani for me is a big asset, just like I thought that Amanjot (Kaur) is a big asset. Shree shows great promise and I have been very impressed with her performances in the T20I series (top wicket-taker in the T20I series with 10 wickets). And performing in England will hold her in good stead, of course.
I also wanted to quickly discuss the batters. The two highest run-getters in the T20I series were again both Indian - Smriti top scored with a total of 221 runs and an average of over 44 followed by Shafali. The first match of course saw Smriti scoring her maiden T20I century, as India beat England by a record 97 runs at Trent Bridge - England’s heaviest T20I defeat by runs. Let’s talk about Smriti. An opener’s role is so very crucial in the limited-overs formats. You have seen Smriti from the time she was a very young cricketer. Your take on the evolution of the current Indian vice-captain as a batter…
Anjum: She has always been a very talented cricketer. I have seen very few people who have not changed their stance (at all, as such). Her stance, from the time I saw her first, the way she stands in the crease, the way she shuffles or has a trigger movement – that has not changed. Which is a great thing. She has played that same role (in the team) over the years. Her bottom hand is not dominating or her top hand is firm, her balance is the same. You see some small changes creep into a batter’s game over the years. But then there are others. We have, for instance, seen Sachin Tendulkar have the same stance, very little trigger movement, right through his career. And that is one thing that I have seen in Smriti. Which is great. When I look at players like Smriti or Harman, or Deepti or Jemimah – I am looking at people who have such immense talent and the ability to become World Champions. And that makes me reflect and ask myself the question – ‘have they done justice to that talent?’ Smriti made her debut in 2013, as a U-19 cricketer, or Deepti, who is from the same era – and how much cricket have they already played – international cricket, international tours, franchise cricket. When I compare these players, I will compare them with players like Laura Wolvaardt (SA), Beth Mooney (Aus) etc. How much have these players improved (since they started playing) compared to players like Deepti or Smriti? From where I stand, I think Smriti alone has the talent to be a world-beater consistently.
As far as I am concerned, consistency has to be taken very seriously. We spoke about how good her (Smriti’s) century was in the first T20I and India won, but look at the other four matches (scores of 13, 56, 32 & 8) and how she got out. If you look at a Virat Kohli or a Rohit Sharma, when they have scored a hundred, look at the scores that followed. We saw Yashasvi Jaiswal score back-to-back hundreds (consecutive double centuries vs England in Tests at home in 2024), KL Rahul scored back-to-back fifties. There has to be consistency and that is the next level, in terms of growth, that the Indian team has to target.
Players who have played more than 100 matches – they travel across the world, play on international grounds, they are (consistently) on the move throughout the year. In our time, we would pack one suitcase. Our break was going for a meal somewhere. The players these days - their exposure compared to our time is greater, the awareness is greater, so the growth also needs to be greater. Someone like Harmanpreet learnt the art of winning matches at the age of 30. These (younger) players should have, of course, learnt it by now already. I am probably setting a very high benchmark and they are working towards it also, but that is the kind of growth I would imagine these players to have or should have had.
They will eventually get there, but at this age – this is your oyster – there will be dips in form, then you will come back. There will be thoughts about who next, etc. But this is their time and it will not come back for anyone. As a woman, you introspect and ask yourself – ‘ok, so, what about the next 4-5 years? Where can I reach in that timeframe?’
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