Team India went down fighting in what turned out to be one of the most exciting Women’s international cricket matches ever. The host England came out on top and captured the prestigious trophy for the fourth time in the history of the game.
Chasing a gettable target of 229 to win their maiden World Cup, Indian Eves once again failed to get off to a good start, as the opening batter Smriti Mandhana failed to trouble the scorers and India eventually fell nine runs short of the target.
Left handed batter started off her first World Cup with a brilliant knock of 90 against the hosts, England at Derby. She missed out on a well-deserved hundred but went one step ahead in the very next match and smashed her maiden World Cup hundred that too against the T-20 champions, West Indies, while chasing a modest total of 184.
Mumbai-born Mandhana, in her innings of 106 not out, smashed the Caribbean bowlers all over the park at Derby. The youngster struck a total of 13 fours and two maximums on her way towards her second ODI hundred.
After this prolific innings, Smriti was compared with the likes of Virender Sehwag for her fearless approach but that comparison in one way or another, affected the performances of the opening batter and she couldn’t make up her mind whether to attack or defend, which resulted in poor shot-selection and the youngster failed drastically in the later stages of the tournament.
After securing 196 runs in her first two World Cup games, Smriti failed to contribute for the team in next seven matches, where the left hander only managed a sum of 36 runs which includes a duck in the all-important final match of the World Cup. This sudden downfall in her game has raised many questions on her technique and her footwork, especially in testing conditions, such as England where the new ball moves a bit initially.
Smriti’s story is nothing short of a fairy-tale, as months before the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017, she was down with a knee injury and with the help of support staff, she overcame all odds and got herself fully fit just in time for the all-important tournament. The left-hander injured herself while playing in the Big-Bash League in Australia for Brisbane Heat.
It was a dream start for the 21 years old but, as the tournament progressed, her performances became a headache for the Indian Eves. With age on her side, she has the potential to be counted, as one the best cricketers in the country.
Indian cricketing legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag have praised the youngster, which must inspire her to get over what has happened and focus on the games ahead.
The World Cup began very promisingly for team India, and the team managed to topple the mighty defending champions, Australia on their way towards a World Cup final after 12 long years but England got the better of the visitors in the penultimate match.
The final was arguably the biggest match in the history of women’s cricket, a sold-out Lord’s stadium paved the way for a change in women’s cricket and all the limelight was shifted onto the girls. Almost every newspaper’s front page was full of the dramatic change that was on display at the home of cricket in the United Kingdom.
After the defeat, India captain Mithali Raj has urged the BCCI, to start focusing on an IPL tournament for girls, to make sure the girls are ready for big stages like the recently concluded World Cup final, where in the end the occasion got the better of the young Indian batting line-up.