Chennai leg a big boost for TN women’s cricket, says Sudha – Times of India

Chennai: After 47 years, international women’s red-ball cricket will return to the city as India will take on South Africa in a one-off Test from Friday. The last women’s Test match that the MA Chidambaram Stadium hosted was way back in November 1976, against the West Indies. Incidentally, Sudha Shah, the current chair of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association’s Cricket Advisory Committee, made her debut during that series. Sudha, a former India skipper and coach, vividly remembers the “special” series which she played as a teenager.“It was the second Test of the six-match series, which eventually ended in a draw. Even the match ended in a draw. I remember exactly how I got out, there was this tall player at first slip, I think her name was Peggy [Fairweather]. I nicked the ball, it hit her forehead and then the gully fielder [Beverly Browne] ended up taking the catch (laughs). I also received the ‘Best Fielder of the Match’ award for taking the catch of the West Indies vice-captain [Patricia Whittaker],” Sudha, who scored 18 runs in that match, told TOI on Tuesday.The Chennai-born Sudha, who went on to play 21 Tests, the most by any Indian woman, feels that the upcoming India-South Africa matches in the city – a Test and three T20Is – will be a big boost for women’s cricket in Tamil Nadu. “It is huge, but the thing is that there haven’t been many women’s Test matches for a long time. It augurs well for women’s cricket in general too. Already, the interest in TN has been growing over the years. And these matches will make girls more motivated,” said the 66-year-old.Sudha backs Hemalatha to come good: Sudha backed TN allrounder D Hemalatha to come up with the goods in the T20I series. Hemalatha, who recently made a comeback into the national side, delivered below-par performances in the ODI assignment. “Hemalatha is a very talented player. I sometimes wonder: ‘Does she know that she is that talented?’. I’d like her to be more consistent.“If it was left to me, she shouldn’t have had that two-year gap, she should have continued playing because she deserves to. She has to make use of her opportunities. And, as a youngster, you’ll always want to look up to somebody who has played for the country or state and performed well. And, if Hema performs well, it will do good for TN women’s cricket. Because they will have somebody to look up to,” said Sudha.Will WPL have a Chennai team?The success of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), still only two seasons old, has been huge and has helped women’s cricket evolve in many ways than one.When Sudha was asked if one can expect a team from Chennai in the next WPL season, she replied: “It will give opportunities for our girls to showcase their talent. Everybody has been looking forward to having a team from Chennai. Let us hope in the future we do.”