Munish Bali, the fielding coach for India Women, was all praise for young debutant Uma Chetry, even though rain cut short the second Twenty20 International between South Africa Women and India Women, only allowing for the play of half of the match.
Though it was just after 12 overs, it is notable that Chetry performed a stumping to remove Tazmin Brits, the Player of the Match from the opening Twenty20 International. She attempted a similar stumping off a delivery from Sajeevan Sajana in the second over, thwarting her first dismissal in international cricket. Chetry was obviously in excruciating pain after collecting the ball in front of the stumps and then removing the bails, so it was ruled a not-out and a no-ball.
When Uma Chetry was given her first cap, Bali was ecstatic. She became the 83rd player for India Women in T20Is, replacing the injured Richa Ghosh. He also recalled her fortitude during the one-off Test at the same location, where she fielded for 70–80 overs. He praised her bravery for an outstanding effort.
“When she received her first cap, I was pleased. “She is a brave girl, she fielded for about 70-80 overs during the Test,” Munish Bali said at the news conference held after the match.
He described how Chetry endured discomfort after being struck by the ball, emphasising the well-known and obvious difficulty of standing close in at short-leg. He was thrilled that she had finally made amends by defeating the British, and he commended her remarkable attitude and unwavering work ethic.
It’s difficult to stand at short leg. Despite being struck by the ball, she remained in agony. She plays cricket with a fantastic attitude and a lot of work ethic. “I was thrilled that she had surprised the British,” Bali continued.
This 21-year-old Assamese woman is remarkable for her determination because she comes from a low-income home and has overcome several obstacles. When she was eight years old, she started a strenuous 16-kilometer journey every day to get to her cricket training facility in Bokakhat town.