Birmingham arguably has the best Indian food scene in the UK. Within a one-mile radius, there are some excellent Indian restaurants, and the quality of food on offer can rival any Indian restaurant back home. In fact, I have had some of the best dosas in Birmingham. Also, if you book an Uber, you will inevitably encounter an Indian or a Pakistani driver. The diaspora is huge, and it is understandable why the ICC comes to Birmingham or Manchester for India versus Pakistan games. You are assured of significant local involvement—and, may I say, you need it when you are clashing with the FIFA World Cup.
There is a lot of branding around the city centre. Victoria Square, at the heart of the city, hosted a build-up event a day earlier, and there has been no dearth of effort in promoting the competition. The weather, too, hasn’t played spoilsport despite threatening to do so for a while, and the build-up has been perfect for game day.
Right in front of my apartment is the Mailbox, and each time you step out, you inevitably bump into someone you know. Be it Salman Agha and his family or Alison Mitchell from the BBC, everyone is optimistic about how important this World Cup is for the women’s game. Jay Shah and the ICC have pushed it strongly and have also introduced new innovations at every stage. And with England playing the way they did against Sri Lanka, you could soon hear locals start saying, “It’s coming home.”
From an Indian standpoint, it all starts today. While Pakistan aren’t really a side to be afraid of, they do have a few players who can challenge India in a format that isn’t their strength. Maybe that’s why the Indians won’t leave anything to chance. It was evident in training and also in interactions with coach Amol Muzumdar and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur.
They will both know a good start is critical, and it is not just a win that India will be after. They will also have an eye on net run rate, as it could become relevant later in the tournament. A big Indian effort here in the UK could give the women’s game a massive push, and coming on the back of the home World Cup win, it could cement the brand of women’s cricket back home in India.
In every sense, the stage is now set. Could Smriti Mandhana get back to form and move beyond the spin issue that has troubled her recently? Could Shafali Verma convert her 20s and 30s into a match-winning 80 or even a hundred, like Danni Wyatt-Hodge? Could Jemimah Rodrigues get into the tournament early, and how will captain Harmanpreet shape up? And what about the spinners? They hold the key to this competition, and much will depend on Deepti Sharma, Shreyanka Patil and Sree Charani.
An Indian win, followed by a gourmet Indian meal over some FIFA action—there couldn’t be a better Sunday!
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