Yastika Bhatia then delivered her finest international innings with a fantastic century at Lord’s as she pulls off an emotional comeback from a career-ending serious knee injury. The Indian keeper-batter’s sensational knock off not only took her to the Page of Honour honoured by Lord’s but also helped India inch nearer a historic Test win all England. But there is something here about overcoming adversity and having the right people at the right time, as in the case of Bhatia, where teammate Smriti Mandhana’s words during rehabilitation proved to be the recipe for one of the most inspirational comeback stories in women’s cricket this year.

First, Bhatia’s innings was about much more than reaching three figures. She composed 113 under pressure to put India in a heady situation to go 456 runs up against England. The knock was delivered in one of the world’s most iconic locations and put Bhatia on the “Lost Batters”, which records the Lord’s Test sides since the innings were first recorded in 1930. It was an historic success – and quite a distinction to come so far from where she was a few months ago.

Bhatia suffered an ACL injury during a training camp, went for knee surgery last October and missed from cricket for several months. The setback had denied her a chance to become the first woman to captain India in the successful home ODI World Cup this time and the ongoing Women’s Premier League season. Going abroad after over 18 months wasn’t easy for Bhatia, but she gradually found her confidence back when she made her maiden half century in the T20Is against England during their tour of India before producing the innings of her dreams in the one match Test à la carte.

Yet, Bhatia feels it was mental fortitude that helped her make a comfortable return to her game, to the same extent physical recovery was. This all changed when Mr. Bhagwati and Smriti Mandhana spoke on just one phone call. An ACL injury cost Mandhana dearly in her earlier days as a player and she knew her teams’ emotions and pain firsthand much better than anyone else in the Indian dressing room.

“Large injuries are, in fact, a big moment for the career of a player,” told Bhatia Mandhana. She urged her to accept the rehabilitation, remain patient and trust it will happen, but that it would take her to higher levels of cricket and mentality. Those words stuck in Bhatia’s mind during several months of recovery, during many months of doubt and a lack of self-confidence.

The Indian opener hugged her teammate and told her that she’ll make it if she works hard. Also he said that her efforts will never go unnoticed. Admitting that those talks kept her levelled off during the toughest time in her career, Bhatia looked back after scoring her first century in her only international appearance. When rehab felt like it lasted a little too long, this advice was used as motivation.

There was this moment in Bhatia’s convalescence when he was recovering from an emotional ordeal which had nothing to do with the bat. Believe it or not, post-surgery she was able to perform her first skill in Cricket – Wicket Keeping. For a long time before returning to the nets with the bat she used to take very basic catches behind a stump, and started to put her trust in her knee.

Bhatia said that it was as though she was seeing the game of cricket for the first time again, like a kid. Even wearing the wicketkeeping gloves and doing the required drills brought back the fun she had with the game in the beginning. Those little triumphs were big achievements while in rehab and aiding in her mental positivity even before competitive cricket could be played again.

This new love of the game was in evidence all day at Lord’s. Bhatia continued to defy the odds as wickets fell around her, being calm and patient as well as technically proficient. She went on to form a valuable 73-run stand with Mandhana before joining Deepti Sharma to put on an anchor partnership for India. Each time his teammates ran made up for the months he’d been recovering, not worrying about time missed.

Finally, Bhatia’s, long-standing late-night shot put India on the backfoot in the Test match. After three days England gave away six wickets and still had 327 runs to deliver an improbable win. The disciplined bowlers axis helped the hosts with their struggle, leaving them with one of the hardest 4th innings to face at Lord’s in recent years.

But, more than that, Bhatia’s performance is a significant boost to Indian women’s cricket outside of the match. From surgery to a 100-year-old game bathed in a century of cricket, her is a testament to the resilience in this Indian side. It also reflects the strong culture of a positive environment for its players which has seen such experienced cricketers such as Mandhana helping their younger teammates get over the hurdles brought to their career.

Bhatia feels that it is a duty for the international players to inspire the world in the future and act modestly. Her account will most likely be inspiring to young sports people who have suffered injuries or have experienced setbacks in their sports, who will realize that bad things can turn into good things when one’s life.

As India moves towards a once-in-a-lifetime Test triumph, the name of Yastika Bhatia will not only be associated with a memorable hundred, but also the mindset of the player. Her stellar recovery both month-by-month and especially at Lord’s is a testament to a turnaround that is truly remarkable and a testament to how much belief and patience – along with indefatigable effort – can turn things around and make history.

Find all the latest cricket news, match analysis, exclusive features and global sports coverage from Zeroto30s.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeroto30s/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zeroto30s/

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/zeroto30s

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Zeroto30s