Haan, wahi Ecclestone jo thodi si quad injury aur thodi si zindagi ke drame se door rehne ke liye chhutti par thi. Par ab, England ke selectors ne usse wapas bula liya, aur is wajah se leg-spinner Sarah Glenn ko squad se bahar ka raasta dekhna pada. Thoda sa mazak hai na? Ek taraf duniya ke top spinners mein se ek ko wapas laao, aur doosri taraf ek talented player ko bench par bitha do. Ye hai cricket ka khel, jahan har ek chance ke liye ladna padta hai.
Par chalo, is baat ka thoda credit toh dena padega. Ecclestone ka wapas aana koi chhoti baat nahi hai. Yeh woh bowler hai jo ICC Women’s T20I rankings mein No.4 par baithi hai, aur ODI mein toh No.1 hai! 177 matches mein 297 wickets, jismein 137 T20I wickets hain, yeh koi mazak nahi hai. Uski wapsi se England ki team ko ek naya josh milega, khaas karke jab baat India ke khilaaf series ki hai, jo 28 June se shuru ho rahi hai Trent Bridge, Nottingham mein. Yeh series dono teams ke liye badi hai, kyunki agle saal England mein T20 World Cup hone wala hai, aur yeh uski taiyaari ka ek hissa hai.
Ab thodi si baat India ke perspective se. India ki team bhi koi kam nahi hai. Shafali Verma ki wapsi unki T20I squad mein ho chuki hai, aur yeh ladki jab form mein hoti hai, toh bowlers ke liye nightmare ban jati hai. Yaad hai 2021 ka woh T20I match Bristol mein, jahan Shafali ne 48 runs thok diya tha England ke khilaaf? Uska aggressive batting style aur Ecclestone ka spin attack – yeh ek dilchasp takkar hone wali hai. India ki team mein Deepti Sharma bhi hai, jo T20I bowling rankings mein Ecclestone se aage, No.2 par hai. Deepti ka off-spin aur Ecclestone ka left-arm spin jab common ground par aayenge, toh yeh ek chess match jaisa hoga – dono ek doosre ko outsmart karne ki koshish mein.
England ki team, Nat Sciver-Brunt ke captaincy mein, abhi ek high par hai. West Indies ke khilaaf 3-0 se T20I aur ODI series jeetne ke baad, unka confidence sky high hai. Par yeh baat bhi sach hai ki India ek alag level ka challenge hai. 2017 Women’s World Cup ka final yaad karo, jab India ne England ko almost hara diya tha, par last moment mein Jhulan Goswami aur team ke haathon se woh trophy chhoot gayi. Woh ek dil todne wala moment tha, par usne India ko aur strong banaya. Ab, Harmanpreet Kaur ki leadership mein, India wapas aayi hai ek nayi energy ke saath. Unke paas Smriti Mandhana jaisi world-class batter hai, aur Richa Ghosh jaisi young talent, jo kabhi bhi match ka rukh palat sakti hai.
Ecclestone ke liye yeh series ek test bhi hai. Woh recently thodi controversy mein thi jab usne Ashes ke dauraan apni former teammate Alex Hartley se interview dene se mana kar diya tha. Thodi si off-field drama, par on-field, uska focus kabhi nahi hila. Lancashire ke liye T20 County Cup mein usne 4 wickets liye the Surrey ke khilaaf, aur yeh dikhata hai ki uska magic abhi bhi baaki hai. Par India ke batsmen, khaas karke Shafali aur Harmanpreet, uske spin ko padhne mein maahir hain. 2022 mein India ke tour of England ke dauraan, Deepti Sharma ne apne all-round performance se sabko impress kiya tha, aur ab woh Ecclestone ke saath ek direct takkar ke liye tayyar hai.
Yeh series na sirf players ke liye, balki dono teams ke coaches ke liye bhi badi hai. England ki head coach Charlotte Edwards ne kaha hai ki yeh series T20 World Cup ki taiyaari ke liye perfect hai. Unka excitement samajh mein aata hai – apne home ground par, bade crowd ke saamne, aur ek strong opponent ke khilaaf khelna, yeh har team ka sapna hota hai. Par India ke liye bhi yeh mauka hai apne aap ko prove karne ka. Woh ek underdog ki tarah enter kar rahe hain, par underdog ka dil bada hota hai. Yaad hai 2005 ka Ashes, jab England ne Australia ko hara kar sabko shock kar diya tha? India bhi aisa hi kuch karne ka dum rakhta hai.
Lekin thodi si khundak bhi toh banta hai. Ecclestone ki wapsi ke bawajood, Sarah Glenn ka bahar hona thoda dil dukhata hai. Glenn ne West Indies ke khilaaf ek match mein 3 for 21 liya tha, aur woh ek match-winner hai apne aap mein. Usko drop karna shayad thoda jaldi ka faisla tha. Aur India ke liye bhi, pressure bahut hai – agar woh yeh series haar gaye, toh World Cup se pehle unka morale thoda kamzor ho sakta hai. Cricket ka yeh khel hai – ek din aap hero, doosre din zero. Ab dekhte hain ki yeh series kiska naam roshan karti hai, ya kiska dil todti hai.
