Could This Be India's Biggest Victory Since 2011?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Historic Win: The Indian women's cricket team achieved their first World Cup title.
- Key Players: Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma were instrumental in the victory.
- Significance: This win is viewed as a pivotal moment for women's sports in India.
- Inspirational Impact: The victory serves as motivation for future female athletes.
- Captain's Achievement: Harmanpreet Kaur made her mark in her fifth World Cup appearance.
New Delhi, Nov 3 (NationPress) Former England spinner Monty Panesar lauded the Indian women's cricket team for clinching their inaugural World Cup title, deeming it the most significant achievement since 2011, when the men's squad triumphed in the World Cup after a lengthy 28-year wait. India emerged victorious against South Africa by 52 runs at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
"Witnessing the women win the World Cup final is absolutely fantastic — arguably the greatest victory in the realm of Indian women’s cricket. This is a pivotal moment, the most significant since 2011, when the men's team secured the World Cup in India. Kudos to the women’s team!" Panesar expressed to IANS.
"This marks a truly historic occasion for Indian women’s cricket. They now have the belief that they can achieve anything — that they can reach the pinnacle. And they have certainly accomplished just that. Congratulations once more to the Indian women’s team," he added.
Deepti Sharma and Shafali Verma excelled both with the bat and ball to steer India toward a hard-fought victory after South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl.
While chasing 299, South Africa appeared to be in a strong position at one stage, but Deepti’s intervention triggered a dramatic collapse. Following her dismissal of Annerie Dercksen, the Proteas crumbled from 209/5 to 246 all out.
Captain Laura Wolvaardt (101) led the charge with a remarkable century, yet wickets fell consistently at the other end. Deepti shone with the ball, achieving commendable figures of 5/39, while Shafali Verma and Sree Charani played crucial roles in securing a historic win for India.
This victory held special significance for captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who was among five players participating in their fifth World Cup. The Indian skipper made her international debut during the 2009 edition of the event in Australia, achieving a 10-wicket victory over Pakistan.