Women's World Cup Final: Where Are The Indian Women? At The Top Of The World.

Women's World Cup Final: Go, tell the world — our girls are the champions of the world.

(Photo: BCCI)

Into the hands — and it popped out. Into the hands again — and out once more. Into the hands for a third time, and this time, it stayed.

Amanjot Kaur had finally completed the catch — and, with it, she scripted history like never before. Laura Wolvaardt, who had crafted a sublime century and looked poised to script a Travis Head-like finish, with Rohit Sharma being in attendance, was gone. Sent packing, to the dugout.

It had taken three attempts, and a few seconds that seemed to stretch into eternity — long enough to stop a billion heartbeats across the nation. In those fleeting moments, as the white sphere of leather danced in and out of Kaur’s palms, one could replay the entire chronicle of Indian women’s cricket at the World Cups — a saga of one heartbreak after another.

That, India are the world champions, could have been written eight years back. Chasing a target of 229 in the 2017 World Cup final against England, India were once 200/5 with over five overs to spare. The last five wickets fell for 19 runs.

This team had also got Australia reeling at 31/2 in the 2005 World Cup final, till a Karen Rolton century took the game away from India’s grasp. At the 1997 World Cup semi-final, this very team was once 70/2 while chasing a low target of 124, and yet, somehow, they lost.

For those who still bore those scars, Amanjot’s juggling act may have felt like déjà vu — a cruel reminder of collapses past. Many might have feared that the ball, like history, was destined to slip away again.

Except this time, it didn’t. This time, a new world order was forged. Amanjot Kaur clung on — and India, at last, were crowned world champions. At the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, India defeated South Africa by 52 runs.

Shafali, the Conquerer

Upon being asked to bat first, on what is an incredibly difficult ground to defend a total, India had an excellent start. Smriti Mandhana scored 45 runs, and ended her campaign as India’s leading run-scorer, but the bigger story unfolded at the other end.

Shafali Verma was not meant to be in Mumbai. She would have been playing domestic cricket, had it not been for Pratika Rawal’s freak injury on 26 October’s match against Bangladesh. Here she was now, at the final of the World Cup, and she was not in a mood to let go of the opportunity.

So, how do you make an impression?

By hitting a boundary on the very first delivery you play. And then, build on it by scoring 87 runs off 78 deliveries. Besides her, crucial contributions came from Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh. The former scored a run-a-ball 58, while the latter scored 34 runs off only 24 deliveries. Courtesy of what ended up being a collective effort, with almost every Indian batter getting a start, the team posted a total of 298 runs.

We Are the Champions

A total near 300 had been chased down at DY Patil just days earlier — but this pitch had teeth. Even so, South Africa began brightly, reaching fifty within ten overs. Then, India’s bowlers turned the tide. Deepti, relentless as ever, picked five wickets; Shafali, in dream touch, accounted for both Sune Luus and Marizanne Kapp.

Ultimately, South Africa found themselves in a position they have become all too familiar with — over-reliance on their skipper, Laura Wolvaardt. Annerie Dercksen did well for her 37-ball 35, but Wolvaardt’s dismissal effectively secured the fate of the match.

Five decades since they first played a match, the Indian women’s cricket team are the world champions. Go, tell the world.