Calcutta : There's absolute awareness of who the Team India and India A head coaches are, but all may not know who coached the Mithali Raj-captained women's team, which only recently made the World Cup final. And, almost won it.

Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid are household names, but it's time perhaps to also talk of Tushar Arothe (a Baroda cricketer for as many as 18 years), who wore the coach's hat in England.

Arothe worked with the India women in different capacities from 2009 till 2012, and was brought back this April, prior to the quadrangular in South Africa.

Now 50, Arothe spoke to The Telegraph from his Vadodara residence on Saturday afternoon.

Excerpts...

Q You coached the women's team which made the World Cup final, yet your contribution appears to have gone unnoticed. Does that hurt?

A I'd myself give all the credit to the girls, so it's okay... I guess that's the way it is. If the team wins, then kudos to the players. If the team loses, then the coach gets the blame... I'm delighted with the way things turned out till the final and no coach should be doing the job to get attention.

What do you think went wrong with India's chase in the final, against England, which had been under control for much of the innings?

I won't blame any one or two girls, for when we'd been winning, I didn't praise one or two of them... As the saying goes ' haath se Cup nikal gaya'... The girls needn't have panicked, yet they did. There were some bad shots and, of course, the lower order lacked experience... For some, the chance of a lifetime went in a matter of overs.

Women are supposed to be more emotional, so what was the dressing room like after the heart-breaking defeat?

I only saw tears, for the girls realised what had been lost... I wanted to tell them something, but decided against saying anything. It was no different the next morning, at breakfast, where I saw puffed eyes... We'd been invited to India House for high tea that day and, on returning, I did speak to the girls.

What did you tell Mithali and the rest?

That a win would have taken the girls to another planet... Also told them that despite the loss, they should draw positives from the World Cup as the defeat would probably remain in their minds till the next edition.

How did you take the loss?

I was very upset, but for the sake of the girls, had to control my emotions... Maybe, a heavy defeat would have been easier to accept, as one could pass it off as a bad day in office... But to lose (by nine runs) from a position of strength is very difficult to accept.

You'd taken charge just months before the World Cup. Wasn't it a huge challenge then?

Soon after I took over, we went to South Africa, where the girls won the quadrangular. The win over South Africa did wonders to everybody's confidence and that held the team in good stead when we landed in England... I didn't have the time to think of big or small challenges, but needed to quickly put a game plan in place.

What makes the difference in finals, especially that of a World Cup?

Staying in the present and not losing sight of one's role in the larger scheme of things... In fact, in the lead-up to the final, I'd advised the girls to stay away from the social media and newspapers. I just wanted them to focus on the job.

As coach, what had been your advice on handling pressure?

Think of one ball at a time, not even one over... Don't look at the final as being a final, but treat it as just another match.

What can the women learn from the loss?

That a heavy price must be put on their wickets.

When our men play Pakistan, there's more pressure on the field and more tension in the stands. What was it like when our women played (and thrashed) Pakistan in Derby?

The atmosphere was terrific and, because the men had lost to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final, the Indian fans wanted Mithali and her girls to win. They did, by a massive 95 runs.

Some words on veteran Mithali's captaincy...

Mithali is a legend and should be hailed as one. I admired some of the changes she made on the field... We have a very healthy coach-captain relationship and she willingly accepted my suggestion to regularly bat at No.3... If you recall, Mithali came at No.3 in each of the last four matches and made such significant contributions.

What's the next level for Harmanpreet Kaur?

Look, Harry has always been a dynamic cricketer. Once Mithali calls it a day, there's bound to be more responsibility on her shoulders... Harry needs to bat up the order, so I got her up to No.4 in the last four matches. A batswoman of her calibre needs to face a good number of overs.

Jhulan Goswami...

Jhulan's very hard working and, like Mithali, never gives up. As Jhulan's 34, she realises that she has to work much harder. Towards that end, she bowled for an hour or so on the eve of the final. That is commitment.

That Mithali and Co. made the final is generally being viewed as a game-changer for women's cricket. What's your take?

I must point out that the media helped in the campaign becoming a game-changer... The country took notice, the Prime Minister hosted us. But, generally, everything is a work in progress.

Well, what did Prime Minister Narendra Modi tell you?

Actually, all of us had to introduce ourselves and when I said I am from Vadodara, the Prime Minister spoke in Gujarati, saying that I should keep up the good work... The Prime Minister was aware of the girls, for when Sushma Verma introduced herself, he said 'tum achcha 'keeping karti ho'... It was an incredible experience for us.

What more needs to be done, by the Board and its affiliates?

More tournaments within the country and more exposure overseas. The Board, I feel, should introduce a new category - U-16, adding to the U-19, U-23 and, of course, the seniors.

A women's IPL?

It would help... The women's IPL could start with just four or five franchises, having the same rules for overseas players... Harry and Smriti Mandhana's mindset changed after playing in the Women's Big Bash League for Sydney Thunder and Brisbane Heat, respectively... Others, too, would benefit if a women's IPL got introduced.

Role model coach?

Balwinder Singh Sandhu... I learnt a lot during the time he was at Baroda and I worked with him.

Who makes a good coach?

One who understands the mentality of every single player, one who knows when to act like a buddy and when to get strict, one who is aware that improvement comes through criticism, one who accepts that allowances have to be made for seniors. You can't treat them on a par with juniors... Above all, one who doesn't think only he is either capable of making a difference or is alone making a difference... I should, on that note, place on record the wonderful work done by fielding coach Biju George.

Finally... What's the difference between coaching men and women?

(Laughs) Both women and men battle it out over the 22 yards... But, yes, the ball used in women's cricket is lighter, the 30-yard circle is reduced to 23 and the boundaries are shorter... The roles assigned to players don't change, though. The pressure is no less either.