London: History beckons the Indian women’s cricket team when they take on England in the ICC World Cup final on Sunday, aiming to cap a fairytale run with a maiden title triumph and put some past demons to rest.
The Mithali Raj-led squad has been living a dream so far in the tournament, the biggest moment of which has been the 36-run win over six-time champions Australia in the semifinals.
And the side will look to ensure that its gritty campaign reaches the logical conclusion after putting in the hard yards consistently in the tournament.
India’s best performance in the event has been a runners-up finish in the 2005 edition, where the team had lost to Australia in the final. With Australia out of the way now, tomorrow could prove to be the moment that changes the course of women’s cricket in India.
It was at this historic Lord’s cricket ground, where the men’s team took its game-changing world title in 1983 with an upset win over the invincible West Indies and gradually grew into a cricketing and financial powerhouse in the world.
A win on Sunday has the potential to do the same for women’s cricket in India, where at they have had to arrange funds for overseas tours in the past.
It is only the second time that India will have a shot at the world title. Jhulan Goswami and Mithali Raj were part of the runners-up team in 2005 and on Sunday will be their last chance to be a World Cup winner.
