THE THRIVE CRICKET Academy stands at the edge of Agra Cantonment. On Shamshabad Road, where commercial outlets are interspersed with residences, and the Taj Mahal towers in the distance, the academy ground is overlooked by luxury apartments under construction—an old world city developing fast. The bright and sunny spring has arrived, as has the exam season. The gates of the academy open at exactly 4pm for evening practice. Boys and girls troop in on their cycles and two-wheelers; some come with parents. They are not segregated based on gender, but according to age group; the under-12 kids have one coach and another looks after the under-14 and under-16 squads.
Four girls were rolling the wicket with a heavy roller, while the rest started their warm-ups. Soon, head coach Manoj Kuswah, a former under-19 player from Uttar Pradesh and a National Cricket Academy-certified coach, arrives. The kids line up to touch the guru’s feet, and he doles out instructions to both groups.
Ten-year-old Anshika Chowdhary, who is small built and sports a ‘boy cut’, marks her bowling run-up and then runs in and releases the ball with all the force and energy her little frame can muster. A class five student of Army Public School, Anshika’s exams are still on, but she turns up for practice nevertheless. She saw her father watching a match on TV and told him she wanted to play cricket, too. Apart from its proximity to the Chowdharys’ home, the academy happens to be one of Agra’s best.
Little Anshika keeps steaming in under the watchful eyes of both Kuswah and the junior coach. She happens to be the favourite of Team India’s star bowler Poonam Yadav. Yadav, born and brought up in Agra, honed her skills under Kuswah. The ace leg-spinner, all of 4’11”, is a role model for the kids in the academy. “I closely watch Poonam didi play in the nets,” said Anshika. “She gives us valuable tips and even corrected a small flaw while I was bowling. She gave me two T-shirts, too, last time she was here.” Another girl got a pair of spikes from Yadav, who trains at the academy whenever she is home.
Poonam Yadav at the T20 World Cup | AFP
The talk in the academy these days is about the Women in Blue playing Down Under, particularly Yadav’s performances. The 28-year-old has been in scintillating form in the ongoing ICC Women’s Twenty20 World Cup. Before the semifinal, she was the highest wicket-taker with nine scalps from four games. Her variations in pace and flight have repeatedly outfoxed opponents, drawing them out of the crease and allowing wicketkeeper Tanya Bhatia to dismiss them. She sat out the tri-series against Australia and England just before the T20WC—a precautionary measure after she sustained a finger injury. But once back on the pitch for her fifth World Cup (ODI and T20), she was brilliant from the word go. Her career-best 4 for 19 against Australia in the opener stunned the defending champions.
In addition to conventional leg spin, Yadav also uses her googly and top spin effectively. “I first saw her bowling in 2005-06,” said Hemlata Kala, chairperson of BCCI’s women’s selection committee, who is from Agra. “I never thought she would play for India, but as she played, her performance at every point was outstanding. She worked hard on her googly later on. Initially, all her focus was on the leg spin.” Said Kuswah: “She started as a medium pacer but our coach advised her to bowl spin, keeping in mind her small frame. She has worked a lot to develop variations.” There is an arm ball waiting to be unleashed somewhere, according to Kuswah.
Her evolution as a bowler at the international level has taken an upward trajectory ever since her national debut in 2013. Yadav was recently adjudged the best female cricketer of the year 2018-19 by the BCCI—she has been the world’s top wicket-taker in ODIs for two years in a row.
To be close to her academy, Yadav has bought an apartment in one of the high rises coming up next to it. She now has a grade A (50 lakhs per year) annual contract with the BCCI, along with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. Her experience as a senior also helps her guide a bowling attack that is largely spin-oriented and young.
Yadav is not the first from Agra to wear the Indian colours. Kala was the first to make it from the city. She was followed by Preeti Dimri, left-arm spinner who represented India from 2006 to 2010. Poonam’s India teammate, all-rounder Deepti Sharma, too, is an Agra resident. “As a former player, I feel good if any kid from Agra is doing well for India,” said Kala. “All this is a result of the performance of the senior Indian women in recent times. Like the 1983 World Cup, the change occurred after the 2017 World Cup. The key is parental support for women players. I never faced problems as my parents fully supported my choice.” Kala recalls the efforts of the late M.K. Afghani, coach at the multipurpose Eklavya Stadium. He had a role in shaping the careers of not just her, but all the girls—Dimri, Yadav and Sharma.
Kuswah’s academy boasts of about 30 girls from different age groups. The number of academies has grown in Agra. Sharma’s brother, Sumit, also runs one called Star Next Cricket Academy. Before the academies came up, the hub of all cricket activity in the city was the Eklavya Stadium. “Every one of us started our cricket at the stadium,” said Kala.
More girls from the city are now playing for the state and India A. “A couple of our girls are busy with the board’s under-19 tournament, while two girls, Shama Singh and Rashi Kanojia, are on duty for India A,” said Kuswah. Yadav’s headline-grabbing performances have only added to soaring dreams in Agra.