The teacher selects three pairs. The pairs are made to stand facing each other. The teacher whispers a game to each pair. One person makes a movement, the other tries to mirror the movement or copy it exactly. Then they change roles. When both have played both roles, try to coordinate movements with each other, so that both become player and mirror at the same time. Then the rest of the class have to find out which sport they are mirroring.
Cricket: It is something that I love. Today, my teacher told us that we would be learning about a cricketer. I thought of Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and many other male players in the Indian cricket team, but she introduced Mithali Raj, an Indian cricketer and the captain of the Indian women’s cricket team in Tests and One Day Internationals. I never thought a woman could play cricket so well. It was why I have never let my little sister play cricket with me. I would tell her, “It is not for you; you had better play with girls.” However, I was taken by surprise, when I learned that Mithali started to play the game at the age of 10, and that she was selected for the Indian team at the age of 17.
Mithali lives in Hyderabad. I was interested to learn that her mother tongue is Tamil. I felt very proud that she has been widely recognized and acknowledged. She was the highest run scorer in Women’s International Cricket and the only woman cricketer to surpass the 6,000-run mark in an ODI. Mithali is the first player to score seven consecutive 50s. In fact, she is nicknamed “Tendulkar of Indian women’s cricket” as she is presently the all-time leading run scorer for India in all formats, including Tests, ODI and T20s. I would love to quote what Mithali had to say about this compliment,
She said, “On the one hand, being compared to Tendulkar is an absolute privilege. I do not think I have achieved even half of what he did for the country. On the other, being a woman cricketer, I want people to know me for my own identity. I would rather not be compared to a male cricketer.”
She indeed is an inspiration to all of us. She actually started playing cricket with her brother. When she was young, she used to go with her father to the grounds where he practiced. She used to stand outside the ground and returned the ball when it came her way. Though it was a humble start, she managed to secure a name and a place for herself. Many of us think cricket is for men; however, she broke the traditional barriers and proved that women are on par with men in every field. The Government of India in recognition of her contribution to cricket conferred on her the Padma Shri, Award.
Recent achievement of our Indian women cricket team. Mithali Raj and another woman player, Smriti hit stylish half centuries and India cruised to a comfortable nine-wicket victory over South Africa in the second women’s T20 International on 23 of February 2018. Mithali anchored the innings to perfection with an unbeaten 76.
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