A scintillating half century by Mithali Raj in the semi-finals of the 2005 edition of the ICC Women’s World Cup against the White Ferns at South Africa ensured a maiden appearance for the Indian team in the finals of the iconic tournament.
While Mithali and her team were scripting history with their exploits on the international arena, little did they know, their successful World Cup campaign had inspired millions of young girls to take up the sport and dream of donning the national colours one day.
Despite the Indian eves faltering in the summit clash of the competition, the journey till the final frontier was adequate for a 12-year-old Veda Krishnamurthy to pick up the bat for the very first time.
Early days
With determination in her eyes and the sole aim of winning matches for the nation, Veda started training at the Karnataka Institute of Cricket. Although the journey in the initial days was filled with jitters, the support of her parents and the coaches made it all possible for a young girl to follow her dream.
At the tender age of 13, Veda was picked in the Senior Women’s squad for her state-side, Karnataka, purely on her athletic fielding skills. Her ability to convert the half chances into wickets and create some magical run outs in the middle paved her way into the senior side.
Just as she was settling into the senior team, her attacking strokeplay started speaking volumes of the class the teenager possessed. Her dominant performances in the domestic circuit meant that the elusive India cap was not far away.
The dream debut
The day finally arrived much to the delight of the Krishnamurthy household as Veda was picked in the Indian squad for the Quadrangular series in England. Exactly, six years ago, this day is etched in the heart of Veda and her fans as it marked the beginning of a promising future for a then young 18-year-old.
In the second match of the series against England at the County Ground in Derby, Charlotte Edwards won the toss and elected to bowl first on a wicket that offered assistance to the seam bowlers.
The Indian team were jolted early in the innings as they lost two quick wickets up front, including the prized scalp of the Indian skipper, Mithali Raj. Coming in to bat at number five with the score reading 98 for the loss of three wickets, Veda battled nerves in the initial few minutes at the 22 yards and slowly started rebuilding the innings along with opening batter, Punam Raut.
Despite losing out partners at the other end, the stylish right-handed batter continued to impress the cricketing world with her temperament and the ability to absorb pressure in her first outing.
A well-crafted half-century by Veda in the middle order ensured that the Indian team reached a respectable total of 202 runs in the first innings. Although her heroics with the bat was not enough for the Indian team to get over the line, the future of the Indian team with the bat looked in good hands after Veda’s performance.
Second innings
Unfortunately, a string of low scores in the following games resulted in the youngster being dropped from the side for the subsequent tours. A massive setback early in the career can have a huge bearing on the mindset of the player, but it was not the case for this young player from Karnataka.
The time away from the Indian team changed the life of this dynamic player as she strived to become mentally stronger to deal with such situations. And most importantly, this phase resulted in her becoming much more mature and experienced as a player on the international circuit.
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With a mission to come back into the reckoning, Veda put in the hard yards at the practice sessions. The tireless sessions finally reaped dividends as she earned a recall to the side for the home series against New Zealand in July 2015.
A little more experience and a calm head above her shoulders, she made optimum use of the opportunity and recorded a well-deserved half century in only her second outing for the team.
The come back into the side for the series against the White Ferns proved to be the turning point in her career as it marked a new chapter in the history of Indian cricket.
Emergence of a star in the making
The fearless approach of the current generation of the Indian team enabled them to script their way into the record books by winning the first ever bilateral series Down Under. Chasing 141 runs to win the first match of the T-20 series, the Indian team were dealt a body blow as they lost their most experienced batter, Mithali early in the run chase.
In walked Veda to take centre stage and battle it out for the nation along with Smriti Mandhana. Her aggressive approach in the middle and a crucial stand of 55 runs for the second wicket laid a solid foundation for the humongous run chase.
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Mind you, the Indian eves had never chased down such a huge total, and one of their top order batters had to fire to win the encounter. And in Veda, the team found the perfect player to carry them along in their pursuit of the target.
She scored a destructive 35 runs in her 32-ball stay, which included five boundaries, to help the Indian side inch closer to the landmark total. Her innings at the top of the order ensured a comprehensive victory for the visiting team and this glorious knock by the 23-year-old showcased glimpses of the great things to follow for the Indian team.
A dozen years later, inspired by the World Cup campaign in 2005, Veda is living a dream of her own as she is currently part of the Indian team for the 11th edition of the World Cup in England.
Reminiscing the good old days of this beautiful country, Veda along with her teammates have the capability to bring the coveted trophy and ensure a revolution back home.
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