Thirush Kamini interview: 'Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami's experience will be key in Bristol Test'

Experience is the buzzword as Thirush Kamini talks about the upcoming India-England women's Test match and her debut in the Wormsley Test in England in 2014. Kamini, who last featured in an international match in 2017, had played an important role in India's thrilling win in that one-off Test in England in 2014. And that Test in turn played a crucial role in her career. She went on to score 192 in her next Test, against South Africa in Mysore three months later. India won the Test by an innings and 34 runs. That was the last time the Indian women's team played a Test. Kamini, who has been performing well in the domestic arena in the last couple of years (averaged 117 in the 2020-21 Senior women’s ODI Trophy) and looking to earn her place back in the Indian team, remembers those two Tests vividly.

Now, after a gap of almost seven years, a Test match is finally back in the Indian women’s itinerary as they head to the English shores again. They will play a one-off Test match along with three ODIs and T20Is respectively on the tour. And those memories are refreshed again.

Seven years is a long time. A lot of things have changed. The pandemic has only made things worse. England are one of the toughest countries to tour. However, it's the experience, especially of Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, that will hold India in good stead, feels Kamini.

"The experience of Julu di (Jhulan Goswami) and Mithu di (Mithali Raj) will be a big key," says Kamini. "Punam Raut who played the Wormsley and the Mysore Test (against South Africa), comes into the team which will add experience along with Harmanpreet Kaur and Shikha Pandey who, over the years, have played a lot of international cricket and have the experience of this format. We had about eight debutants in that Wormsley Test, but now there are players who are also a part of the setup for a long time. So India have an edge by carrying forward that experience. They have a bunch of experienced players and that will be a huge plus for us."

Seven players from the current squad had played the Wormsley Test in 2014. Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami have played 10 Tests each. Harmanpreet Kaur, Shikha Pandey, and Smriti Mandhana have played two Tests while Ekta Bisht, Punam Raut, Poonam Yadav have played one each.

While most of the players have played at the most two Tests, Kamini feels that the experience gained in those two matches is invaluable. She relates it with her experience of playing in the debut match and how much it helped her in the next Test against South Africa in Mysore.

"One Test gives you immense experience to understand the format, apply yourself, and give your best."

"The Wormsley Test was very enlightening as I gained a lot of experience. That match went to a zone where they were on top and dominating the whole session and then we had to come and dominate the other session. Those ups and downs really instilled a lot of learning. It was emphatic. Even for Smiriti who was a part of the Test. You understand that nothing is lost. When you play an ODI game imagine you have lost some wickets very quickly and when it completely goes in the favour of the opposition, it gets very hard for you to pull back the game. It's not impossible but that transition takes a very long time.

"When it comes to T20s, there is not much time; when it goes into the opposition's favour, it pretty much ends in their favour. But when it comes to Test cricket, you have four good days, so even if the game goes in the oppositions' favour, you are able to pull it back and turn the tables the next day by playing a good brand of cricket every single day."

In Wormsley, Kamini made 17 off 56 balls, adding 40 for the opening stand with Mandhana in the first innings. However, it was her knock of 28 in the second innings where she really applied herself for 114 balls to add 76 runs for the first wicket with Mandhana that set the platform for India to chase a tricky 181-run target in the fourth innings. It was a roller-coaster ride where England were bowled out for 92 and then India for 114. And then India restricted England to 202 and chased down the target.

"When we had gone there, we didn't have much time to prepare for that format. We got just two sessions before the game. The first innings came as a shocker to me, to understand what it was like...I mean obviously, when you kind of see a bunch of wickets falling, you feel you are on the back foot and then you take a cluster of wickets and feel like you are dominating. You have to play good cricket every single day to win a Test match, that was the understanding that I got. I was able to rectify my errors from the first innings in the second innings and do what's the best for the team to win. It helped me in my next Test in South Africa."

Kamini went on to hit 192 against South Africa in Mysore three months later - the second-highest individual score by an Indian in the women's Test and highest by an Indian opener.

"When I got into the second Test, I understood what it was like to play a Test match. We were already one Test old, so that had helped me understand how to carry forward my innings. I was playing ODIs and T20Is as well so I was thinking was I very slow (in the England Test)? However, I was able to understand that it was okay to spend time at the crease.

"In the second innings in Wormsley when we got into bat, they wanted us (Smriti and myself) to get a good opening partnership. That kind of helped the team. Those understandings had come to me after the first Test. When I had got into the second Test, I understood the more I spent time at the crease, it was good for the team. It was important that we have a good long partnership. England were a much more formidable side at that time, they had the experience of playing the Ashes. And obviously, they were playing in their home. When we beat a side like that, that's when we able to kind of understand that we were really good as a team in that format."

Just like 2014, there are challenges galore ahead of the Test this time as well. One of the major ones according to Kamini is getting into the groove after very negligible cricket in the last 16 months - they played just the ODI and T20I series against SA - and getting the combination right.

Playing in England is another altogether different challenge. The unpredictable weather makes it tougher. Kamini feels that adaptability will be the key.

"It's very different from the Asian conditions. Understanding the situation and adapting to the situations and conditions quickly will be key. One has to understand the situation of where the team is and come up with a resourceful solution. That will help us cement our position in the Test match."

England can be a tough place for batters, especially the openers. The windy and overcast conditions could make their lives tougher. Having been there and experienced it, Kamini says that shot selection will be crucial in the Test.

"The key is to play as close as possible (to the body). We are so used to kind of playing our shots. So I personally think that we have to curb our shots a bit. We are so used to playing the ODIs and T20s and tend to play the balls on fourth and fifth stumps, so probably that is something one can change in terms of technique. Try to curb the shots a bit and importantly, understand what plan the opposition and counter it."

There will be excitement in the air but some nerves as well for the young players like Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, who will be a part of the longest format for the first time. Kamini reckons that the youngsters need to go out with a clear mind and just enjoy the moment.

"The one thing I really want them to do is to enjoy, sink into the atmosphere, and learn as much as possible. That is what I did in my first Test match. Because just by playing, the game as such will teach you so many things."

The victories of the past often act as a source of inspiration. India have achieved success in England in the past. They won the two-match series 1-0 in 2006 and won the one-off Test the next time they visited for a Test in 2014, both under Raj's captaincy. The stories of the past will be a source of motivation amid myriad challenges.

"(The wins) would definitely give them confidence. I am sure they will be able to gain some pointers from the matches from the past, especially the last match in Wormsley. We had eight debutants in 2014. With the 2006 performance, the confidence and vibes Mithu di, Jhulu di and Karuna Jain carried rubbed onto the team in the 2014 Test. And all the debutants were raring to go. That excitement is what drove us forward. We have 8-9 players who have already played a Test before. If three experienced players could make that kind of impact in 2014, imagine the impact 8-9 players can make and set the vibes in the dressing room...That is something which will be very huge," Kamini signs off.