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ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup highlights: India v South Africa
India’s recent World Cup victory positions them to become a dominant force in women’s cricket, according to former England spinner Alex Hartley.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s team secured a momentous 52-run victory against South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, an occasion anticipated to catalyze the growth of cricket in India.
Despite the match concluding after midnight local time, a capacity crowd of 45,000 remained until the final moment, passionately supporting each run and celebrating enthusiastically as player of the tournament Deepti Sharma claimed the decisive wicket.
“India has the potential to evolve into a juggernaut of women’s cricket, and their trajectory is remarkable,” Hartley remarked to BBC Test Match Special.
“The influx of investment into the game, coupled with a robust domestic system, will inspire more individuals to emulate figures like Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Deepti Sharma.
“We anticipate a surge in young girls and boys taking up cricket bats, motivated by India’s recent achievement.”
While the defeat marked a third consecutive global final loss for South Africa, the city transformed into a sea of blue as fans donning jerseys bearing the names of Harmanpreet and Smriti Mandhana emerged from the stadium in celebration.
“India faced immense pressure to secure this World Cup, given their extensive fan base and significant financial contributions to the sport,” added Hartley, who clinched the World Cup title with England in 2017.
“The question was not if, but when India would triumph in the World Cup, and their victory against Australia in the semi-finals suggested that destiny was on their side.”
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Hartley’s prediction and confidence in India’s ascendancy were echoed by the Indian players themselves, who recognized the significance of their victory and its potential impact.
“This achievement is profoundly meaningful, as we have made history,” stated 25-year-old all-rounder Amanjot Kaur.
“However, this marks merely the beginning. Our objective is to dominate globally across all formats, and I am delighted that we accomplished this when it mattered most.”
While Amanjot is part of a cohort of promising, emerging talents, for Harmanpreet, Deepti, and Smriti Mandhana—the three players who participated in India’s previous 50-over World Cup final, the agonizing nine-run defeat against England at Lord’s in 2017—this victory represented a crowning achievement.
Mandhana has served as the tournament’s prominent figure, with her image featured extensively on billboards and television advertisements, while Deepti has consistently delivered strong performances, and Harmanpreet has led the team as their iconic captain.
In her fifth and final World Cup, Harmanpreet, typically composed on the field, allowed her emotions to surface through tears, smiles, and dance moves as she celebrated with her teammates during the long-awaited trophy presentation.
“Following each World Cup appearance, we collectively discussed our objectives and strategies,” stated Harmanpreet, 36.
“We understood the expectations placed upon us to achieve something exceptional, and the BCCI’s significant investment in our team has enabled us to stand here today.
“This marks the beginning, and we aimed to overcome this obstacle, with the intention of making this triumph a recurring achievement. We have numerous significant opportunities ahead, and this is not the culmination but rather the inception of our journey.”
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