Mithali Raj kept her reputation as the `woman to watch’ alive when she lead her team to a strong victory over fancied New Zealand that helped India enter their first World Cup final

Nagraj Gollapudi07-Apr-2005

Mithali Raj: Hasn’t been captain for long, but is already leading from the front© Getty Images
It’s the first time India have made it to a World Cup final – must be a dream come true?
It really feels great that at last we have entered the final. All the girls are really excited.Captaincy seems to have made you more confident, something that can be seen in your batting?
When I go in to bat I don’t think that I am the captain, and I’ve got to get runs and the responsibility is on me. Today was a good example where others girls chipped in with vital contributions and helped the team cause. I had good partnerships with Anjum [Chopra] and Hemlata Kala and then short handy ones with the tail. The bowlers also did their job and that’s how we won by 40 runs. In the first few overs New Zealand were 30 for four with their top-order erased. So the credit goes to everyone.You had lost to New Zealand in the league game. That must have played on the minds?
Our first priority was: we to reach the semis. Once there we to make the final. We had lost in the league game to the Kiwis by 16 runs. So it was a pretty close contest, and didn’t hamper our confidence. If we had lost by a bigger margin our morale would have been down but that didn’t happen and we came back strongly.Where did India win the game today?
When we made 204, we knew that the pressure was on them as they were batting second.How did you go about shaping today’s innings?
I went in when couple of wicket were down – 38 for 2 – but I started in a confident fashion. I only had one thought in my mind when I walked in: “Today is the day I have to do it.” I told myself the team needed something big from me and I am glad I didn’t fail them. In that confident vein I went for my strokes. I should also give credit to the lower order who gave me good support.But at the beginning you were going very slow – at 30-over-mark India were 89 for 2?
Yes, I had this thought, at one stage, that we were going slow. But we also knew that if we are settled we cannot throw wickets to get the runs faster. And that’s what Anjum and I agreed in the beginning – that one of us had to stay to get the runs.

Mithali Raj times it to the fence © Photosport
You have been playing with an injured right knee. Are you confident of playing the big one on Sunday?
I will definitely play the final – I cannot just leave my team now. I suffered the injury while playing the Nationals before the World Cup, and it had almost healed, but I don’t need to worry about that.Though India lost 4-3 to Australia in the home series, India won the last three games in a row. Does that give you the upper hand in the final?
We played at home and that was an advantage. Here the wickets are hard and the bounce is high, so we know they are going to attack us with short-pitch deliveries. But we’ve worked hard and practised with the boys at the preparation camp to get used to the conditions here.What will be the plan on Sunday? Australia are undefeated so far.
We just need to see off the new ball. And they just have one bowler who is very quick – Cathryn Fitzpatrick. In the first semis England lost the game when Fitzpatrick took three wickets in her first spell, thus exposing the English middle order. We need to keep that in mind and survive the first spell.