Cricket was making a comeback at the Commonwealth Games after 1998 and with India making it to the women’s T20 finals on Sunday, the demand for tickets had spiralled. The £25 India jerseys were flying off the hangers at the Celebration Square souvenir shop and enquiries were aplenty at the ticket office across the road. The online scene was more hectic.
Dipanjan Dasgupta, a Manchester resident, logged in right after the first semi-final. “It was showing ‘limited numbers left’ but in the few seconds by when I could add three tickets to my shopping basket online, they were gone,” he said.
With over 1.3 million tickets sold before the event, Birmingham 2022 is the most attended edition of the Games ever to take place in the UK and the organisers could not be happier for the interest cricket was generating. Speaking to The Telegraph on the sidelines of an event at the UK House, Commonwealth Games minister Nigel Huddleston said: “We were very eager to showcase women’s sports. There are more medals available this time for women than men. One of the reasons for that is women’s cricket... Also, we were having the Games in Birmingham, with Edgbaston on our doorstep. What a fantastic location to showcase cricket to the world!”
Indeed, the atmosphere at the venue, witnessing another piece of history 120 years after it first hosted international cricket, was electric. Ian Walsh, a volunteer clicking spectators against a Games hashtag installation outside the stadium, put the support in favour of India at 60:40. Birmingham has a robust Indian community. And with England out of the fray, the English fans too were mostly supporting India.
“What did you expect? Those are Aussies!” Matthew Pateman, from Luton, said in absolute disdain. Indeed, flags, facepaint, turbans, hats and spikey headgear — Edgbaston channelled the hues of the Tricolour. Dancers in Punjabi attire, led by a dholak player, had got the party going in the South Stand. Caily Bradshaw, an Australian who works at the local Aston University, conceded that India dominated in support.
“But we have a good team,” she said, smiling, as Meg Lanning hit the first six of the match. Her husband Nick praised India’s tight fielding as Radha Yadav took a catch, flying to her left, to send Tahlia McGrath back to the hut. Or not quite, as Tahlia would sit away from the rest. The spectators did not know then that they had watched another piece of history — a Covid positive player at play! The mood was upbeat at the break and the DJ played to the galleries. “Who loves India?” his voice boomed. And the response came in a roar. The party continued as Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues stabilised the innings after the fall of two quick wickets.
“They just need to get one of these out,” reflected Gloucestershire resident Will Hartop, sipping beer in the cricket-themed glasses the Tom Dollery Lounge serves drinks in. And Jemimah got out the very next ball. “Oops, sorry,” he apologised to the Indian fans around. That was the start of the rout. Eight wickets for 34 runs. Disbelief writ large on their faces, most started leaving, with no heart for the medal ceremony. “Our national anthem won’t be playing. What’s the point?” Ajay Patel, a local hotelier, shrugged. For them, India did not win silver. It lost gold. But some chose to be positive. Lynn Ray De, a Girish Park girl now settled in Harborne, attended all but one of India’s T20 games on the trot. “I have never watched women’s cricket this passionately. Now I even follow Smriti Mandhana and Renuka Singh on Instagram. They have won hearts,” she said.
That silver lining has to be as precious as the medal.
‘Break the pattern’
Heartbroken after missing out on a gold medal, India captain Harmanpreet harped on the need to stop repeating the same mistakes in ‘title clashes’, adds PTI.
In similar inexplicable batting collapses, the team had earlier lost the T20 World Cup final to Australia in 2020 and the 2017 ODI World Cup to England. “Every time in big finals, we make the same mistakes again and again (with the bat), that is something we have to improve,” Harmanpreet said.
