CHENNAI: In the last decade, despite the heartbreaks and victories, one thing has remained constant in Indian women's cricket. Or rather one person. In Deepti Sharma, they trust.
When the off-spinner from Agra takes wickets, India do well. And when they need breakthroughs, they turn to Deepti. When they need someone to bowl under pressure, in death overs, Deepti is there with the ball in her hand. It didn't matter who the captain was — Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur or Smriti Mandhana — Deepti and the trust in her has remained constant.
And with good reason. No active spinner has more ODI wickets than her (160) — Anisa Mohammad of West Indies has 180, but will not be long before Deepti surpasses her. No bowler has more T20I wickets than Deepti (166). And more often than not she has been there in the most important moments of Indian women's cricket in the last decade. She was there in the last over heartbreak in the 2017 ODI World Cup final. She was then in the no ball drama at the 2022 WC. She finished as the leading wicket-taker in the ODI World Cup triumph last year.
Which is why, despite the lack of wickets leading up to their opening game of the T20 World Cup, India turned to Deepti again on Sunday. After Mandhana (68) and Richa Ghosh (34) took India to 170/6 against Pakistan in Edgbaston, the veteran off-spinner was trusted to do the job with the ball. And she, much like the management, knows how big a role spinners would play in this World Cup considering the double-headers and used surfaces.
Understandably, it did not take long for her to make an impact. The offie started off with the wicket of Gull Feroza in the fifth over. Then, she removed the counter-attacking Ayesha Zafar soon after. Soon NR Sree Charani and Shafali Verma joined the party, all but killing the contest. The final blow, however, came from Deepti who took the last three wickets in a single over to hand India a massive 64-run victory. And in the process, she registered her career-best bowling figures (5/10).
Usually someone who does not let on easily in press conferences, Deepti was at her candid best after the match on Sunday. An astute reader of the game, she said that the pitch had some turn on offer and it was crucial for her to vary the pace every over and keep hitting the good areas. "I saw in the first innings that it was slow and it was turning a little. In the second innings also, there was more turn. So I wanted to make sure to put all six balls in the same areas. I was just targeting my good balls and how to hit the good areas," the off-spinner explained in the post-match press conference.
She also reminisced a little on her evolution from the young, nervous 19-year-old who landed in England for her first World Cup nine years ago. In the final, then, she succumbed to the pressure during the chase as England beat India by nine runs. In the years that followed, pressure became her favourite word. Now, when in pressure, the team trusts her. And more importantly, she wants to be in the middle of it all. "I like pressure conditions and ICC tournaments," Deepti laughed as she picked up from where she left in the last ICC match (a fifer in the ODI World Cup final last year). "When we see young Deepti and senior Deepti, it feels very good. When I look back at the previous matches and the 2017 World Cup, I have learnt a lot... where I am making mistakes, where I can improve. I keep talking to Aavishkar Salvi sir, watch my videos and learn from every match. It doesn't matter if you are winning or not. You will be considered a good player only if you learn from your mistakes and improve. I'm enjoying it and it feels good," she added with a smile.
And India would not have it any other way. For so long as Deepti does what she does over the next four weeks, they have the best chance at going for their second ICC title.
Because in Deepti Sharma, India trust.
