Image Source- AFP
India defeated England in the Under-19 women’s T20
World Cup final in South Africa this past January, and Titas Sadhu was named
Player of the Match. Nine months later, in Hangzhou, Titas not only
accomplished her childhood goal of making her senior squad debut, but she also
bowled a memorable stint (4-2-6-3) in the championship match, this time to
assist India in winning the Asian Games gold.
It was even sweeter knowing that someone only 18 years
old had secured the victory because it wasn’t a given. India was under strain
after losing 5 for 14 attempts and being limited to 116. Then they witnessed
Chamari Athapaththu launch a quick pursuit for Sri Lanka.
They may have had deja vu at that same moment. They
may have experienced flashbacks of the stage fright they experienced at the T20
World Cup semifinal in Cape Town and the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
But although Australia was a merciless machine that was adept at winning games
from a corner, Sri Lanka may have allowed the pressure of a championship match
to get to them.
They panicked when restraint was what was needed.
Additionally, they gave in to pressure by losing three wickets during the
powerplay. By putting themselves in the game and going deep, they attempted to
minimise damage. By that point, the asking price for what appeared to be a
mediocre turner—with balls bouncing and blasting off the rough—had gone out of
all proportion.
After their batting collapse just 90 minutes earlier,
India was less than thrilled. Sri Lanka, who was brimming with self-confidence
after just last month’s historic first-ever T20I series victory in England,
fell to their knees. The sun, which shone brightest in the final after days of
rain in the lead-up, dipped down behind the hills as two opposing emotions that
make sport the ultimate theatre were on display.