Air India crashes out

By S. Sabanayakan

ASANSOL, FEB. 25. Finalist last year, Air India made an inglorious exit from the 25th Senior National women's cricket championship at the Asansol Stadium here on Sunday. The runner- up, widely expected to challenge Railways in the final, was drubbed by Mumbai by nine wickets in the quarterfinals. Last year's semifinalist, Punjab was also sent packing by Andhra Pradesh. The South Zone champion won by 37 runs.

In the two-day semifinals beginning on Monday, Railways will play Bengal and Mumbai, which last played in the semifinals in 1984, will take on AP.

Inaugural year champion Bombay, now Mumbai, also won the National crown last in 1984 at Kota (Rajasthan) beating Maharashtra in the final. Air India, camping at Kolkata for major part of last week, arrived here yesterday night and could hardly stay on here for 24 hours! Mumbai made sure that the Air India players would be back home to watch the first Test between India and Australia.

``We played badly,'' admitted former India and Air India skipper. ``It is a new-look team. It needs time to settle down,'' said team's current captain Anju Jain, who also led the Indian team in the New Zealand World Cup where India lost to New Zealand in the semifinals.

Air India's 120 in 47.2 overs did not pose much of a problem for Mumbai. Openers Sulakshna Naik and captain Sunitra Paranjape put on 50 runs for the first wicket to place the team on way to a deserving victory. Sulakshna's departure at 27 (43b, 5x4) brought in left-handed Arati Vaidya. Sunitra (47 not out, 106b, 7x4) and Arati (26 not out, 54b, 3x4) made sure nothing went wrong for Mumbai.

If Air India's batting looked pathetic, its fielding was worse and its bowling lacked direction. Anju's captaincy, under pressure, was not keeping in tune with her new status. Her field placing and bowling changes lack vision. True, Air India did not have Mithali Raj and Seema Poojari, both have joined Railways, Manju Nadgoda could not make it here owing to her landing a new job, Kusumlatha's contract was not renewed, Mamatha Maben, quit playing to take up full time job as a sports journalist with a web site and Smitha Harikrishna, who could have made so much difference both with her batting and bowling, dropped out concentrating on her studies.

A 34-run stand between Sunaina Mehan (29) and Mamatha Kishen (17) for the seventh wicket helped Air India go past 90. Mumbai's loose fielding in the closing stages helped Air India reach 120 in the 48th over. Three current India players, Anju (7), Anjum Chopra (15) and Purnima Rau (1) failed the team when it needed their services most.

There was no denying the fact that Mumbai top order played superbly. Mumbai went for runs from the first ball and kept Air India under pressure.

Punjab, seeded in the quarterfinals, won the toss and asked Andhra Pradesh to take the first strike. AP made full use of this as B. Priyadarshini (70 not out, 80b, 6x4) batted for three and a quarter hours to keep one end going while Sudha Rani (73, 96b, 11x4), coming in at No. 3, went for shots freely in two and a half hours of occupation of the crease to take AP to 188 for two in 44 overs.

Opener Gulshan Sharma (68, 97b, 9x4) stood like a rock for almost two hours but Punjab kept losing wickets at the other end. Only Rajini Bhalla (38) showed purpose in her batting in the late middle-order.

The scores:

Air India 120 in 47.2 overs (Sunaina Mehan 29; Zaheeda Sheikh three for 32) lost to Mumbai 121 for one in 35.1 overs (Sulakshna Naik 27, Sunitra Paranjape 47 not out).

Andhra Pradesh 188 for two in 44 overs (B. Priyadarshini 70 not out, Sudha Rani 73) bt Punjab 151 for eight in 44 overs (Gulshan Sharma 68, Rajini Bhalla 38).

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