New Delhi, July 18 (IANS) India wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia says she never allowed the prospect of a maiden Test century to alter the way she batted during her historic innings at Lord’s, insisting that sticking to India’s aggressive brand of cricket mattered more than personal milestones.
Speaking at a press conference facilitated by the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) on Saturday, days after becoming the first woman to score a Test hundred at the iconic venue, Yastika said her only objective was to play according to the merit of the ball, irrespective of the score she was on.
Asked whether the innings had the potential to change perceptions around Indian women’s Test cricket, Yastika said her focus during the knock remained firmly on executing her natural game.
“I didn’t think so much about that. But my aim was that I’ll play according to my mindset, that I’ll play aggressive cricket. My game is aggressive, and I’ll play the same. Even if I’m in the 90s, 80s, I’ll play according to the merit of the ball. I won’t change my style of playing just to score a century. But at the same time, whatever the ball merit is there, I’ll play according to that,” Yastika said while replying to an IANS query.
Rather than viewing the innings as an individual statement, Yastika said it reflected the philosophy that has become central to the Indian women’s team over the last few years.
“I had that in mind. And like the recent times, for the last three years, like the brand of cricket we are playing, I think the Indian team is really playing positive cricket,” she stated.
She also revealed that India women’s head coach Amol Muzumdar had reinforced that message before her return to the national setup after a lengthy injury layoff.
“And Amol sir was telling me that as well in the T20 series that we are all playing a brand of cricket where we are looking to be aggressive, we are looking to be positive all the time. So, you are coming into the set-up after a long time. So, we are looking that you will also play the same brand of cricket,” she mentioned..
Yastika said embracing that approach made the transition back into international cricket easier and influenced the way she constructed her landmark innings. “So, I took it well and I wanted to play that kind of cricket. And so, in this match also, I played that as well.”
Yastika’s century not only secured her a place on the Lord’s Honours Board but also underlined the fearless approach that has increasingly defined India’s batting across formats. For the left-hander, however, the innings was never about chasing a personal landmark, it was about remaining true to her natural game and the attacking identity the team has committed to over the past three years.
–IANS
vi/