India’s lady ‘Little Master’

Hyderabad: Captain of the Indian women’s cricket team, Mithali Raj, has just got back from a “special tour” to London. Not only did her team, Rest of the World XI, beat MCC XI at the Lord’s there, she also received the biggest compliment of her life. Mithali scored the highest number of runs, 67, in the 50-over match and was referred to as ‘Little Master’ by former England captain and MCC president Mike Gatting.

So far, the Master title as been bestowed on male Indian cricketers and legends — Hanif Mohammad, Sunil Gavaskar, Gunduppa Vishwanath and Sachin Tendulkar.
The skipper says, “I had never expected to be called ‘Little Master’ by the MCC president. I guess he said that because I am from India. If anything is related to Indians and cricket, people overseas think of Sachin Tendulkar.”

How did it feel to be a part of the World Women XI squad? she says, “We (players from different countries) were all eager to play together. I had two partnerships with the Australian players and my innings was notable.”

And, the Lord’s, regarded as the home of Cricket? “At Lord’s you are acknowledged for every shot you dispatch to boundary or clear the rope. Playing and scoring at Lord’s is a great experience.”
Sharing a tasty titbit from the tour, she says, “I suggested a visit to an Indian restaurant for the team dinner outing, and all the players enjoyed the Indian dishes.”