LONDON — England starts as favorite to lift its fourth Women’s World Cup title at Lord’s Sunday, but faces an Indian side high on confidence after knocking out defending champion Australia in the semifinals.
Indian middle order batsman Harmanpreet Kaur took center stage with an unbeaten 171 and was backed by a disciplined performance by her bowlers as India pulled off a 36-run upset win over six-time world champion Australia.
England, captained by Heather Knight, edged out South Africa by two wickets in the other semifinal, and holds the head-to-head advantage over India in the 50-over format at World Cups, with six wins to the visitor’s four.
But the Indian squad’s ability to grind out results under pressure will not have gone unnoticed, least of all by the English, who were beaten by India by 35 runs in their first match of the tournament.
Since that defeat the host has won seven matches in a row to reach the final.
Knight and opening batsman Tammy Beaumont have been consistent at the top of the order, scoring 750 runs in the tournament so far, while the reliable Natalie Sciver at number four is the only player to have recorded two centuries.
India, skippered by Mithali Raj, is chasing its first World Cup title and is known for its strong batting lineup, but it is their spin bowling trio that has wreaked the most havoc during the tournament.
Off-spinner Deepti Sharma has been the key to their success in the middle overs, picking up 12 wickets on her World Cup debut.
Sharma has been backed by leg-spinner Poonam Yadav and left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht, who decimated Pakistan with a five-wicket haul earlier in the tournament.
Raj and veteran fast bowler Jhulan Goswami are the only two members from the last Indian side that reached a World Cup final — when it lost to Australia in 2005.
“It seems like it’s going back to 2005, and I am just too happy that the girls have given us an opportunity to be a part of World Cup finals again,” Raj said after the semifinal victory.
“They have performed well throughout the tournament in the run-up to the final. Playing the hosts is going to be a challenge but, having said that, this unit is up for it.”
India hails girl power
Where the men failed, India is hoping its female cricketers can blaze to glory Sunday.
Images of captain Mithali Raj and star batswoman Harmanpreet Kaur adorned front pages and dominated social media after India stunned defending champion Australia in semifinals.
The win comes as a welcome boost with India in need of cricket cheer after the men’s team capitulated to Pakistan in the Champions Trophy final last month.
The performance came as no surprise to former players who believe Indian women’s team is destined for the big time.
“Hats off to Harmanpreet. It’s a great victory for the India women’s cricket team and for women’s cricket in India,” former team captain Diana Eduljee told NDTV.
“I thank the girls for the opportunity they have given to all women cricketers and the future of women’s cricket is now here to stay in India.
Kapil Dev, who won the World Cup with the men’s team, said he was “filled with pride” after seeing the women in action against the Aussies.
Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar tweeted: “Brilliant finish by the #WomenInBlue!...Here we come Lord’s!”.
Widely described as an “unforgettable knock” on social media, Kaur’s efforts took India to their second women’s World Cup final.
“This is a genuinely Kapil-Dev-at-Tunbridge-Wells kind of innings,” leading Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle tweeted, comparing it to Dev’s 175 against Zimbabwe in a 1983 World Cup match.
ESPNcricinfo senior editor Sharda Ugra called the win a “turning point” in Indian women’s cricket, but said the performance was not a surprise.
India’s women have been one of the stronger teams at the 11th women’s World Cup with Raj the tournament’s second highest run-getter.
Raj, 34, became the first batswoman to score 6,000 runs in One-Day Internationals in a league game against Australia, surpassing the record previously held by England’s Charlotte Edwards (5992). — AFP
