World Cup triumph can be a watershed event for women's cricket

At the stroke of midnight, when the world slept, the Women in Blue made their tryst with destiny. The Wonder Girls led by talismanic skipper Harmanpreet Kaur defeated South Africa by 52 runs in front of 45,000 boisterous fans who were packed alike a pack of sardines in DY Patil Stadium to clinch their first ever World Cup.

This epoch-making triumph by the women is going to be a generational shift in the dynamics of women’s cricket and usher in a new era--something what the 1983 World Cup win did to men’s cricket. The sight of Rohit Sharma and Sachin Tendulkar witnessing the match from the stands epitomizes it.

It must be mentioned here that the Indian women had lost the World Cup final in 2005 and 2017, but this time around they were not content to be the bridesmaid. What was most impressive about their win was that it was a total teamwork.

They didn’t have a superstar like Tendulkar or Kohli but a bevy of all -rounders with each one making her presence felt. What was more impressive was the resolve and determination they showed throughout their matches which were held across Guwahati, Visakhapatnam, Indore and Navi Mumbai. At one point even making it to semi-finals was in doubt after they lost to England, South Africa and Australia. But the team lead by Harmanpreet peaked in the right time to emerge champions.

In the final it was the batting exploits of Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma which enabled India to post a 298 total, which was the second highest score in a World Cup final.  When it came to South Africa’s chase, it was Deepti Sharma who came as the miracle bowler for the hosts with a haul of five wickets. She ended up as the highest wicket taker in the tournament with 21 wickets and was adjudged player of the tournament. Earlier in the semi-final against seven-time champions Australia it was Mumbaikar Jemimah Rodgriguez’s unbeaten knock of 127 which set up the Indian victory.

There is another interesting aspect to the Women in Blue’s brigade’s triumph. Most of them didn’t hail from metropolitan cities where they had easy access to training facilities and top flight coaching.

For instance, Deepti Sharma had to travel from her home to the coaching facility both ways by local train. Amanjot Kaur’s father was a carpenter and she had to undergo hardships before embarking on her career. Ditto is the case with Shree Charani who hails from a small village in AP’s Srikakulam district and Radha Sharma whose father was a vegetable seller. Its these girls who have fought against adversaries who made the World Cup dream turn in a reality. Kudos to them.