Overhead conditions threatened to ruin the mood on one of the momentous nights for Indian women’s cricket. The drizzle became a steady downpour at one time, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of the fans who thronged the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday.
The skies opened up little before 1pm. But long queues outside the stadium gates stood steady. Several scribes from the electronic media were seen giving piece-to-camera near the stadium premises, while tickets priced at ₹150 were learnt to have been sold at ₹4,000, or even higher, in the black market.
All these have been a regular affair ahead of a game featuring the India men’s team. In women’s cricket, it’s a rarity.
To cheer their lungs out for India’s women in blue, the spectators were all for braving the rain, even when it started pelting from around 3pm. And when Sachin Tendulkar brought the Cup to the ground minutes before the final finally got underway, following a two-hour delay, the chock-a-block stands seemed to be painted in blue.
Barely a seat or two of the upper tiers were left unoccupied. The cheers grew louder as soon as the players came out for training after the second set of revised timings (toss at 4.32pm and 5pm match start) was announced.
Women’s cricket in India seems to have finally got the respect it deserves.
Last Wednesday, before the semi-final against Australia, schoolgirls were spotted in Team India jerseys that carried the names of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. A few steps ahead, a couple of hawkers stood blankly with jerseys bearing Smriti Mandhana’s name. However, the 35,000 turnout that day proved those scenes didn’t portray the actual picture.
The fact is, that this Harmanpreet Kaur-led Indian team went the distance after triumphing over multiple-time champions Australia has gone on to be a massive shot in the arm for women’s cricket. “Indian women’s cricket has grown exponentially, and it will keep growing,” former England captain Nasser Hussain, here for commentary, told The Telegraph.
“The performances of the Indian women have improved massively, which is largely due to the emergence of the WPL, while quite a few of them have played in The Hundred as well. So, the growth has been exponential, and they will keep improving,” Hussain emphasised.
The last time India hosted the Women’s ODI World Cup in 2013, the matches were played in only three venues — Brabourne in Mumbai, a ground in Bandra and Cuttack. “The turnout in most of those games was unsatisfactory,” recalled an ICC official.
“This time around, the scenes are drastically opposite. First of all, we have better venues, and then the turnout has been pretty impressive.”
Broadcast and content production, too, have played their role, feels former England bowler Isa Guha. “Content produced and broadcast has led to greater visibility and awareness,” Isa stated.
