Follow UsThe wait has ended. The burden of history, laden with stories of so-near-yet-so-far endings, has been lifted off the shoulders of 15 women. The Indian women’s cricket team, at the stroke of midnight hour, have begun a new dawn in their story by winning their first ever ODI World Cup and that also in their own backyard!
The 298 total scored by the Indian team was largely due to the efforts of the non-star batters of the side. Shafali Verma was parachuted into the tournament when Pratika Rawal injured an ankle in a rain-abandoned game right before the semifinal. She said that probably God had sent her for something special, and ended up scoring her best score (87) in the format. Then, miraculously, she broke the game open for India with her bowling as she also picked up her best bowling figures (2/36) in ODI cricket.
Deepti Sharma shone like the diamond all-rounder she is. A run-a-ball 58 was followed by a sensational 5/39 from her as she proved naysayers wrong about her strike rate and showed that she’s ready to improve for the country. The Player of the Tournament award was a testament to that.
Then how can someone forget Richa Ghosh? Her quiet confidence speaks loudly when the ball pings off her bat and travels everywhere in the ground. Today, her 34 off 24 elevated a 280 total to 298. However, what should be remembered from her is how she expanded her range to become one of the most lethal executors of the reverse sweep, and she employed it to great effect today. It's her hard work that spoke for her today.
And you know what? None of these girls is even 30 yet. Shafali even became the youngest Player of the Match winner in the World Cup final. All of this signifies what this moment means for women’s cricket and women’s sports at large, in the most populous and youngest nation on the planet. Possibilities are infinite.
Meanwhile, in the larger picture, comparisons are moot between men’s and women’s cricket, but for Indian cricket, this was the 1983 moment for the women.
At the stroke of midnight hour, as November 2 became November 3, Indian women’s sports woke up to a new dawn. A dawn that also carries the imprints of history, as the win is as much for the Shanta Rangaswamys, the Diana Eduljis, the Mithali Rajs and the Jhulan Goswami, amongst others, who played when there was nothing to play for.