Raj, Mir steel themselves for one more showdown
It is unlikely that Mithali Raj and Sana Mir remember the details of the Women’s Asia Cup game between India and Pakistan in Karachi in December 2005. It was the first-ever clash between the arch-rivals in women’s cricket, and Mir, in her second One-Day International, bowled Raj for 19. India have won all the nine ODIs between the two countries, and only Raj and Mir have seen it all.
Raj is now 95 runs short from becoming the highest run-getter in ODIs, while Mir is only one of seven players with the double of 1000 runs and 100 wickets. The two have been pioneers in more ways than just their on-field performances. Leaders par excellence, they have played significant roles in increasing the profile of women’s cricket in Asia. With the 2017 ICC Women’s World Cup in all likelihood their last global 50-over tournament, it is not difficult to sense the emotion of the occasion. The clash between the two countries at the County Ground in Derby on Sunday (July 1) could be the last time that the two would be playing against each other.
Key stats:
Mithali Raj against Pakistan: 254 runs at 63.50; HS: 103 not out
Sana Mir against India: 93 runs at 13.28; HS: 27 not out I 8 wickets at 36.75; BBI: 3-37
Aware of the difficulties that they have countered over the years to keep the sport relevant in their respective countries, they have mutual respect for each other.
July 1- India- Mithali Raj pre-match press conference
“We respect each other a lot,” Mir said. “What Mithali has done for Indian cricket… she has been a role model for a lot of batters and leaders out there. The way she has led the side for one decade or so, a lot of credit goes to her.”
Raj and Mir have calm personalities, and are avid book readers. They are well-respected in the dressing room, and they always have an eye for the big picture. What separates the two is the structure that they operate within.
“The style and structure have been different because India still has a better cricketing structure at home,” Mir, who is three games short of becoming the first Pakistani to play 100 ODIs, pointed out. “So, when players come into the (Indian) team, they are more mature. As far as I am concerned, the challenge I have faced is that you have to work a lot on the players when they come in. That’s a bit of a difference. But I am also sure Mithali also works quite a hard on her players.”
Even though the rivalry in the women’s circuit is more one-sided than the men’s, it could be too easy for the players to get charged up considering the background against which every India-Pakistan is painted. Raj and Mir understand that; it's one of the reasons they came themselves for the pre-match press conference instead of sending out other players.
Outside the qualifier earlier this year, the last time India played Pakistan was in the ICC Women’s World Twenty20 2016 in Delhi. On that occasion, Pakistan’s spinners choked Indian batters, and then scraped through to a narrow win because of the rain. Raj stressed that it was important to treat different formats separately, and view Pakistan like any other team.
July 1- Pakistan- Sana Mir pre-match press conference
“That is a different format, this is different. In the ODI format, India have always done well,” Raj said. “We don’t really see them as Pakistan because once you start understanding them as a team that you need to beat because of the pressure and expectation surrounding the game, you are adding more pressure on yourself. Why don’t you see them as one more team, another game to win to progress? We will definitely look into the areas that have been concerns, and how we have performed in the past against Pakistan. We will have our strategies in place for tomorrow’s game.”
Mir agreed that India have been the better team in the tournament. “India have been playing really good cricket,” she said. “We have seen a couple of their games. It’s going to be a new day for both of us. It’s important for us to be on the spot from ball one and keep at it till the end. What is important is the brand of cricket. When we go into the middle, we play with our hearts out. That’s most important for all of us. That’s the kind of cricket people associate with Pakistan – that on any given day Pakistan can do anything to anyone.”
If they can walk the talk in front of an expected full house, then the Raj-Mir rivalry could be in for a grand finish.