No squealing fans waiting for an autograph or even a sight of their favourite cricketer. When you walked into the hotel, you didn't realise that there was a former Indian captain staying there. Yet it was true. The former Indian captain was a women's cricketer. Her name, Purnima Rau. Purnima Rau is the captain of the Air India side for the Rani Jhansi Trophy starting in Chennai on April 2nd. She made her international debut in the fifth Women's World Cup in England in 1993.

SJ: Let me first start off by asking about your experience there.

PR: It was a mixed experience for me in the sense that I was a debutant and nervous. For someone who had put in 5-6 hours a day, I was raring to go and do well for my country. With mixed feelings I walked out onto the ground. As usual, it started off by scoring a zero against the West Indies. That's how it goes, I think. The lower you go, the higher you get. That was my debut, a zero on debut. I was dropped for the next match against Australia. We then realised that Australia couldn't play spinners. After around 12 overs, Diana and Pramila Bhatt had given just six runs. Then I knew I could come back. After that there has been no looking back. The World Cup was good, in the sense that in a match I batted very well against England. India lost by 3 runs and after that England went on to win the World Cup. On that particular day, victory was so near yet so far. For me I knew then that we could always beat other countries, having got close to the target. That was the first lesson I learnt from the World Cup - No opposition is big or great or unbeatable. We can win always. That was a big lesson.

SJ: Then you were promoted to the captaincy and were the captain in the one-day series against Australia in 1994. You were also declared 'Player of the Series'. How tough was it playing Australia at home because Australia has always been a pretty decent women's side ?

PR: I still rate Australia as one of the best sides in the world because of their fitness and professionalism. They can't play spin but the way they graft or take quick singles, for them six runs an over is an easy target even though they never play big shots. In that way any bowler fears them. In 1995 , this Australian squad was a very young side. Beating them on home soil was something which I relished. I did quite well. I got a lot of wickets. There has been no looking back ever since.

SJ: You were then India captain in the Centenary Cup in New Zealand. This would certainly rate among one of the best moments for Indian women's cricket. You were also the 'Player of the Series'. This was the first time India was winning away from home. What were your experiences like in that series ? What made India click in that series ?

PR: I think it was a very good selection. There was a lot of youth and from 1991 there had been lot of changes in the side. We went as a side which really didn't have any preconceived notions about the sides. We didn't know who Zoe Goss was. We just went there. We had a few intensive camps in Delhi and it turned out that we were the underdogs. They had called us for some sort of buffer between Australia and New Zealand, just to fill the numbers. They got the shock of their lives when they realised that not only was our bowling right on target but our fielding was very good. We repeatedly stopped the batsmen from going for the third run and our running between the wickets was very good. Because of the youth, we converted the two runs into three runs. We really enjoyed ourselves. We had no picture of international cricket but we were taking every game and every ball as it happened. Of course, it has been one of the biggest moments for Indian women's cricket because India has never won on foreign soil. It's definitely a wonderful feeling to win outside. The patriotic feeling just flows into you. For me it was a kind of launching pad. I did well in all departments of the game. That's what I always aim to do. In the final get a big score, get wickets, get catches and win the cup for your country. I think that is the greatest moment any cricketer can have.

SJ: And then you were also captain against England at home. We again won. That was the first win we had against England. How did that win come about ?

PR: England were the World Champions. When they came over to India, we knew that because we were playing on our grounds, we had an advantage. This match that we were playing at Guwahati was a real thriller. It was a low-scoring match and the dressing room was dismal. There were analyses going on in everybody's mind. We really fought for everything, didn't gift any run at all. We won that match which was quite an achievement. I think that is what keeps a team together. Pulling off low totals is I think the biggest team unity you can show on the ground. Chasing big scores is a different thing but defending small totals gives a lot of pleasure. That has been one of my good moments in the game.

SJ: You also went and played league cricket in England in Middlesex. Was it a helpful thing ? What kind of differences did you find between women's cricket in India and England ?

PR: I played for Gunnersbery. Madras has been a lucky hunting ground for me. I got the Woman of the Match against England in the last one- day at Chepauk. Lufthansa Airlines gave me a free ticket to London and back. I realised that a holiday wouldn't do and wanted to combine it with cricket. I had made a few friends in the England team and everything clicked. I was playing in Middlesex. As far as the game is concerned, I think Indian standards are much better. Even in Hyderabad, we have matches of a very good standard. In England, they do have cricket in schools. But from the school level to the national level there is a gap. I think that is where they miss out. Cricketwise, I didn't really learn much but it helped my life off the field. I got to know them, talk the same language and still retain the Indianness. It was a challenge. As Indians we are always hitting each other and embracing, quite emotional. They were a bit more orthodox. By the end of it, they behaved like Indians which was quite a challenge for me. Their kind of cricket is absolutely different. What I really learnt from them is they fight it out on the ground but are friends off the field, have a drink etc. In India we shouldn't carry the battles off the field. That is one thing I learnt from them. It was a nice experience and at the same time I needed a holiday and it worked out.

SJ: Then there was the 20th Senior Women's Cricket Championship where you were declared the Best Allrounder. How would you describe yourself as an allrounder ? As someone who bats a bit or bowls a bit ? What are you predominantly good at ?

PR: I think my forte is my batting. I love to bat but I dont get runs. As for the bowling, I do it out of compulsion and put a lot of thinking into it. I get a lot of wickets, in fact in my international career I probably have more wickets than runs. That is a pretty sad thing. This championship was a turning point for my career. Until then I had been playing for the Railways. Then I was called by Air India and I switched jobs. I had been playing a lot of domestic tournaments and getting a bit runs and wickets. But this tournament saw me unleashing shots and I was reduced to a spectator myself by my performance. Getting the best allrounder in the National tournament and proving that you are the best in the country was a challenge.

SJ: In the 1997 World Cup, what exactly happened ? We lost out at the fag end of the competition ? Can you explain why it happened. It would obviously be difficult to pinpoint something.

PR: Even now, I get up at night and have cold sweat on the forehead. We should have won the World Cup in 1997. It wasn't just one reason. There were lots of reasons. I am probably the most controversial cricketer you speak to because I'm the only one who opens her mouth on this. We needed a more professional attitude. We knew our opposition. Today I am in a position to tell you what Australia and New Zealand do, not in 1993 or 1995. We always knew that Australia would take quick singles but we never worked on that. Cricket has changed now. You have to put in a little more than what is necessary. Assess everybody's strengths and experiences and work on your strengths and weaknesses. Our medium pace bowling was not very good. We used to get hammered in the first 10 overs. We needed more fitness. Things like these were crucial. We needed to have focussed more from the game point of view. I feel sorry for the whole thing because women's cricket is the kind of game where the girls just play for themselves, never for money or fame. Yes, a few of them get jobs at Railways or Air India but otherwise there is no serious grounding and they are pretty much on their own feet. There is a lot of sacrifice in women's cricket. Suddenly knowing that you could have done it and not doing it is a criminal thing. I would rather not play cricket if I wasn't giving 100%. So I think we've gone 20 steps behind after the good work we put in between 1994 and 1995 with the World Cup loss to Australia. We lost to a good side, no doubt. But we could have definitely won.

SJ: Last year in the series in England, the test series was a real thriller. It ended up with England needing 2 wickets for a win and India needing 20 odd runs for a win. Yet it was a draw. Can you just take us through the moments of that test match ?

PR: Actually more than a one-dayer, my adrenalin flows in a test match. It wasn't just this test but in 1995 when they were here, we lost to them by 2 runs at Jamshedpur. In the third test at Hyderabad, we needed the last wicket and they batted on for two hours after tea. Those two test matches had taken so much out of us. Then to go back to England and find ourselves going through the mood swings of the game was a little too much. In the first innings they scored around 329 and we scored around 200. Then I bowled one of my best spells for five wickets and they were 56/6. The game changed again and it was India's game from there. Finally in the last stages of the game, we were on the backfoot again. I think that is the best part about cricket. Even that match we should have won. Chandrakanta and Anju Jain got 117 for the first wicket. That was something the last 8 wickets should have carried on from. We should have won that test. All the three tests I've talked about, we should have made it. I think a little bit more of planning should go in to see that we work on the last half hour of the game, if we ever get to play a game like that in the near future.

SJ: Then there were the one-dayers against England which India won 2-1 which is a pretty creditable thing given that England is also a good women's side. Take us through the one-dayers.

PR: I think India was on top in the one-dayers. We beat them hollow. Our batting really flowered. Anjum Chopra got a fifty at Old Trafford and a hundred at Northampton. The Northampton game was, for me as a senior women's cricketer, one of the best games I've ever played. We scored around 260 and England chased those runs. I didn't feel bad after losing because I felt that women's cricket is now here to say. Now men are scoring 300 runs and chasing them. The one-dayers were very good for India. We won at Old Trafford and Trent Bridge. Northampton was a game I always dream of. I always don't believe in me being on the winning side but I always dream of women's cricket now. Teams chasing 260 is very good for the game. I think that was one of the best things. It was a pretty satisfying trip.

SJ: Now onto non-cricketing matters. I understand you have also represented India at the Asian level in the softball championships. Softball is similar to cricket but what made you take it up.

PR: I think this was in 1991 when there was no cricket for me. I had played baseball in school. I wanted to improve my midwicket shots, swing across the line and get my throwing right. I represented Andhra Pradesh. I play golf sometimes to help me with my lofted shots over the screen. I play a few games which help me with my cricket. It just happened. I was called for the Indian camp. I was in fact asked to lead India. It was destiny. I am a double international captain. For me 1991 was when I got to meet people from countries like China, Japan etc. It was an international exposure for me. I think that was the reason I did well in the 1993 World Cup. I was not awed by the international occasion. Probably if I had not played in the Asians, I would not have done as I did in 1993.

SJ: This may sound like a pretty cliched question but what do you think can be done to improve the standard of women's cricket in terms of sponsorship, specifically in India.

PR: Primarily, we have to win this World Cup 2000. The men got all their dues only after winning in 1983. We have to do something. The second thing is to create more jobs for the girls. It shouldn't be just Railways and Air India but banks and other public sector companies should come forward. I think if we start having pace academies like MRF for the girls we could improve on this area too. We should really market the game. Over the next one week or so, if you are a purist and you love the game you would sit through the day. But if you are a layman who just loves sixes, power, speed and strength you would not find it here. But I'm sure that if you really love the game technically, you'll find that it has enough potential to grasp your attention. If we really market it well, have publicity drives, I think sponsorship will easily come in. The media is there of course. Ever since we won in 1995 it has been with us. I can never pinpoint and say that the media haven't been with us. Recently we played at Jorhat and it has been all over the Internet. With CricInfo coming in now, I think things have changed. Its just that we need the catalyst now. I would only ask for it if we win the World Cup. I wouldn't ask for anything more now. Let things be the way they are.

SJ: Over this long career, who have your idols been when it comes to Indian cricket or World Cricket for that matter.

PR: As a kid I always liked Sunil Gavaskar. He had all the qualities I never had and still don't, his patience and concentration. I like Sachin a lot, the way he improvises with the full face of the bat and his attitude towards the game. Aravinda DeSilva is one more person. If you are a real cricketer and a true batsman, you have to be able to get runs consistently which I find in DeSilva and Ranatunga. They've taught me good lessons over the years. I also admire Wasim Akram for the killer instinct he provides. Among women cricketers, Shanta has been a guru. I haven't played much under her but she was my manageress during the Australian series. I learnt a lot from the way she handled the press. She taught me a lot of things. Women cricketers of yesteryear, the ones who've been playing since 1976, Diana, Shubangi and Sandhya Agarwal have sacrificed a lot. The foundation they have laid has made it very easy for us. Each one of them has placed a brick in the building. I admire each one of them. The minute I see any ex- cricketer, my eyes swell up with pride. I have learnt a lot from each one of them. It has been a long career but I would say I've lived 100% on the ground. I have no regrets. I've never felt bad scoring zeroes or dropping catches. It is part of the game. But I have always bounced back. I don't have regrets today about anything.

SJ: What next for Purnima Rau ? Continue playing cricket and then what else ?

PR: I think I will make this World Cup my swansong. They call me a dreamer and they say dreaming is not enough but I dream of the innings DeSilva played: 107 runs, 3 wickets, 2 catches and a Cup for his country. I just pray to God that if I have put in the hard work for the game I've loved so much, I'm sure that the game is going to justify it for me. That is the faith I have in my game. Winning the World Cup is my top priority right now. I've been very lucky to have someone like my late coach Sampath Kumar. If I can give back to the game in any capacity, like an academy for pace bowlers, spinners etc. I will do it. I dream of a time when a girl, 10 or 15 years from now gets a 5 or 10 million $ contract. I dream of the day. That day, I think my efforts would have paid off. I would die a peaceful death.

SJ: Thank you Purnima, it has been a wonderful time talking to you. Wish you and Air India the best of luck for the Rani Jhansi Tournament and the Indian Team the best of luck for the Women's World Cup in New Zealand.

PR: Thank you.

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