‘The building has come up beautifully,’ says Diana Edulji as Indian women’s cricket team turns 50

New Delhi, Oct 31 (IANS) The foundation laid by India’s women cricketers 50 years ago has grown into a structure that now holds an ODI World Cup title, said former captain Diana Edulji on the occasion of 50 years since the side played its first official international match.

India played their first official international match on October 31, 1976, against West Indies in Bangalore, the opening game of a six-Test series. Shanta Rangaswamy captained the side, and Diana played alongside her sister Behroze in the match ending in a draw.

“This was the beginning, and the journey has been wonderful. I can’t believe that 50 years is already around the corner, and I’m very happy that we will be able to see this day. We made sure that we played, whatever the conditions. And today, I think, through the foundation we laid, the building has come up beautifully,” Diana was quoted as saying by bcci.tv. on Saturday.

She recalled that early players faced every kind of hardship, from poor facilities to little money, but never considered walking away from the sport. “We went through what I would describe as a complete overhaul. We went through the rigmarole. You name it, and we faced it. It was that difficult, but not once did we ever think, ‘No, let’s stop.’ Never.

“You won’t believe it. Because we were not used to that pace, we didn’t have a very firm grip on the bat, and when they (the West Indies) bowled, the bat would fly out of our hands. That’s when we realised that Indian cricket had a lot of catching up to do to match the standards of other teams,” added Diana.

Despite that, India, coached by former men’s batter Lala Amarnath at that time, still won the fourth Test in Patna, the country’s first international victory, and Diana hit the winning runs. “The most pleasurable moment for me was hitting the winning run in the Test match we won in Patna. We had a good crowd, which was something we could not believe. About 30,000 to 35,000 people were in that stadium.”

“When the crowd erupted after the victory, it was something we had seen only in men’s cricket. People ran onto the ground, and we were completely surrounded. We were so overwhelmed, but it was such a great feeling. In fact, I lost my bat and gloves; they were simply snatched away, but it was worth it. I can still picture that experience. Even after 50 years, that memory remains fixed in my mind,” she added.

Diana became India’s first ODI captain and the first to lead the country in a World Cup. She was the first Indian bowler to take 100 wickets in women’s international cricket, and remains the only bowler to have sent down more than 5,000 balls in women’s Tests. She was the first Indian woman cricketer to receive the Padma Shri and the first Indian woman inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

Over the next five decades, India reached several World Cup finals and won a Commonwealth Games silver medal, two consecutive Asian Games golds and eight Asia Cup titles. They also won the first women’s Test played at Lord’s.

Diana said the 2017 World Cup final, which India lost to England at Lord’s, was when the country began to pay attention to the women’s team. “All of them became household names during that time. Lord’s was packed, and the match was watched by people all over the world. The Prime Minister of India invited a team that had lost the final to his residence for high tea. That showed that this team had arrived, and women’s cricket really moved forward.”

Diana served on the Committee of Administrators (CoA) that ran the BCCI briefly and recalled how the panel began the push for equal treatment, which led to current ICC chairman Jay Shah implementing it in his time as the BCCI secretary through pay parity and the launch of the Women’s Premier League (WPL).

“We did our bit as members of the Committee of Administrators (CoA) to help women cricketers become more equal and give them the benefits that men were receiving. We then handed it over to Mr Jay Shah, who took it forward. He ensured that the WPL was launched, and I think that was another turning point for women’s cricket.”

“Mr Jay Shah’s vision has helped women’s cricket prosper a lot. Undoubtedly, he has made a significant contribution as BCCI Secretary and, even more so, as ICC Chairman. He has taken the game to the global stage. He has helped bring cricket into the Olympics, which is something we would never have dreamt of.”

India is now slated to host the inaugural ICC Women’s Champions Trophy in February 2027. “Now, with the Champions Trophy coming in, you can see how the game is expanding, and that is largely due to the ICC’s genuine commitment to promoting women’s cricket. We have had people promoting the game before, but not at this level. So, hats off to Mr Jay Shah and his team at the ICC, and to the BCCI as well,” added Diana.

Monday, November 2, will be the first anniversary of India winning the first ICC Women’s World Cup, and Diana recalled seeing that winning moment from the stands last year. “It was a great, great feeling. I was so happy to be watching it live. I was at the stadium, and this was the dream we had, because that was the only trophy missing from the cabinet. The BCCI, after doing so much for women cricketers, deserved this trophy.”

“The icing on the cake was definitely winning the World Cup. Once we won, it was absolutely nostalgic for me. After 50 years, to see it happen live in front of me was like a dream come true. It was very good to see the current team recognising our performances and our dedication, and acknowledging the foundation we laid,” she concluded.

–IANS

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