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World Cup Final: India women chase a historic breakthrough
India's women's cricket team faces South Africa in a historic home World Cup final, aiming to overcome past losses and capitalize on fan support.
Navi Mumbai: An opportunity of a lifetime awaits Harmanpreet Kaur and her team at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday. The Indian women’s team have been in ICC World Cup finals before, but nothing can compare to the experience that awaits them when they take the field against South Africa.
Nothing can be bigger than a home World Cup final. And India have earned the chance with a win over Australia for the ages. The onus is on them to cash in.
The 2025 championship will mark a big shift in women’s cricket as a new ODI World Cup winner will be crowned, South Africa having knocked out England in the other semis. It’s also the first ODI World Cup final that won’t feature Australia or England.
Both the finalists struggled in the league phase, but importantly have peaked at the right time. India were on the brink of an early exit after three defeats in a row. SA overcame two nightmarish batting collapses, 69 all out (vs England) and 97 all out (vs Australia).
Having achieved the almost impossible by beating Australia, India have already experienced an unbelievable high. After the highly emotional semi-final win, the home team players’ challenge will be to regain equilibrium. There’s a risk of getting swept up by the euphoria and hence it’s important to stay in the present. To seize the moment, it will be vital to stay totally focused.
It will be to India’s advantage that the final is being played at the same venue of their memorable wins over Australia and New Zealand, while SA must make adjustments as it will be their first game here.
Crowd factor
The way they have bounced back by beating New Zealand and Australia, Harman’s team has caught the imagination of the country and beyond. Treated to a spectacular performance on Thursday, cricket fever has hit Mumbai. On Sunday, fans will pack into the Navi Mumbai stadium to support their team. There is also a sudden, mad rush for match tickets.
In such games it’s about handling the atmosphere as well. SA can find it intimidating while the home players can be overwhelmed by the show of support. How the players handle the pressure of expectations will be important.
Score to settle
India have a score to settle. SA have beaten them in their last three Cup meetings going back to 2017. It includes the league match in this edition. India had the game in control in Visakhapatnam before being knocked down by Nadine de Klerk, who smashed a 54-ball 84 at No.8 to snatch the game away after being 142/6 in 35.5 overs.
Hopefully, India would have learnt their lessons that it is not just skipper Laura Wolvaardt, but SA are a well-balanced outfit. What makes them dangerous is the ability of some of their players to produce such individual brilliance that they can single-handedly take the game away.
There can’t be any strategy for such acts. Against England in the semis, Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp were the one-woman army, with the bat and ball respectively. The opener smashed 169 while Kapp scythed through the England line-up with a fifer.
Captain vs Captain
India will be wary of the Laura factor while the SA captain is well aware of the impact her counterpart, Harmanpreet, can have in big games. Wolvaardt’s aggregate of 806 runs is the most by any batter against India since 2017.
In the home dressing room, Harmanpreet walks tall as captain and player. Her ability to lead from the front was on display in the semis with a high tempo 89. Harman has 311 runs in World Cup knockouts, the second most for any batter.
SA will be equally wary of Smriti Mandhana. The left-hander is second in the top-scorers’ list headed by Wolvaardt. Her dream run was broken in the semis and she will be looking to make amends. Since 2024, she averages 75 against SA.
While these two stalwarts have carried India’s batting for so long, a new pillar has emerged at Navi Mumbai – Jemimah Rodrigues. Her match-winning 127* to beat Australia was remarkable given the pressure of the run chase, coming after a dazzling 76* against New Zealand, justifying her promotion to No.3. Add the hard-hitting ability of Richa Ghosh and it gives India’s batting an intimidating look.
Despite India’s outstanding chase in the semis, it was far from a perfect game. The fielding and bowling left a lot to be desired.
There will be no shortage of home support but India will need to come up with a complete all-round game to nail the spirited and talented South Africa.
