Winning the cup can change the fortunes of Indian women's cricket, says Mithali Raj
What’s the story?
Not many in India knew the women’s Indian cricket team beyond the names of its two cornerstones – captain Mithali Raj and fast bowler ‘the Chakdaha Express’ Jhulan Goswami. However, we know almost the entire team now – from Smriti Mandhana to Poonam Raut and Shikha Pandey. All it took was the mega event, and India’s remarkable road to the finals, to bring them the long-due recognition.
"Things have changed immensely for women cricketers. We have been getting a lot of calls from various parts of the country to acknowledge and appreciate the efforts of the team so far. Everybody are happy the way the team has performed throughout the tournament. It's just one more game, it can change the fortunes of women's cricket in India," Raj was quoted as saying on Cricbuzz.
On the other hand, England captain Heather Knight also acknowledged India’s phenomenal rise in the tournament, and hoped that the BCCI will support the team better in the future.
"India being in the final is the best result for women's cricket. There's massive scope for growth and support from India. And with their team being in the final, BCCI will take note and support women's cricket the way it should be.”
In case you didn’t know...
This is the second time that India have made it to the finals of the World Cup; the last time they did was in 2005. They played the World Cup qualifiers earlier this year to qualify for the quadrennial event and upstaged some of the big names to reach the finals.
The heart of the matter
India have a golden chance to spark a new revolution in their own brand when they meet hosts England in the finals. Earlier, they got the better of New Zealand and Australia in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively. On both the occasions, middle order batswoman Harmanpreet Kaur’s heroics took the team over the line. She scored a half century against the White Ferns, and followed that up with an incredible unbeaten 171 against the mighty Australians.
What’s next?
Not just Harmanpreet’s but the entire team’s effort will be needed to upstage England, who do not only have history and the numbers on their side, but will also be getting the advantage of playing at home. The final will be played at Lord’s Cricket Ground
Extra cover: ICC Women's World Cup 2017: Cricketers wish Mithali Raj and team before final
Author’s take
From the media to the corporate, everyone ran behind the men’s cricket team after the 1983 World Cup win. And we’re seeing that happen again. This is Mithali and Co’s golden chance to make history.