A journey that went through years of neglect, toil and unfulfilled promises reached its desired destination on Sunday night as India Women earned the right to be called world champions.
In the final, against South Africa Women at the DY Patil Stadium, India defended 298/7 by bowling out their opponents for 246 in 45.3 overs. The 52-run victory will forever be etched in the history of cricket as the match that immortalised women’s cricket in India.
Some may say it’s as big as the 1983 World Cup win by Kapil Dev’s team, some may point out the similarity of the date with the 2011 World Cup win (that was on April 2, this on November 2), but fact is this triumph by the women’s cricket team of India is perhaps much bigger and significant in terms of the potential impact it might have on the game in India and it’s societal status.
Shafali Verma was named Player of the Match for her blazing knock of 87 off 78 balls and later the two key wickets that she scalped with her part-time spin. Deepti Sharma, who made run-a-ball 58 and claimed 5/39 with the ball in the final, was named the Player of the Tournament. Deepti finished as the highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 22 scalps.
Player of the Match Shafali Verma celebrates after taking Sune Luus’s wicket in the Women’s World Cup final, as South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt looks on, at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday Reuters
South Africa were very much in the chase thanks to the brilliant innings of 101 off 98 balls from skipper Laura Wolvaardt. But once she was dismissed in the 42nd over, the South African innings collapsed.
The game had begun in a festival-like atmosphere, and ended in emphatic celebrations.
Play started a two-hour delay due to rain. Opener Shafali, who would not have played the final had Pratika Rawal been fit, made most of her reprieves to give India a solid start.
India’s next best scorer in the final, Deepti, was also given a life on 38 when rival captain Wolvaardt, at long-on, couldn’t hold on to one that dipped in.
However, those reprieves aside, credit has to be given to the 21-year-old Shafali for bringing her A-game in the clash that counts.
The pressure was pretty much on Shafali as this was just her second ODI after returning to the squad after 12 months, and to make it worse, it was a World Cup final. But, unfazed by the magnitude of the occasion, Shafali let her strokeplay do the talking.
Her 104-run opening partnership with Smriti Mandhana (45) laid the foundation
for India.