Women’s cricket team lifts the nation’s spirits

ALWAYS a bridesmaid, never the bride. That had been the heart-breaking story of Indian women’s cricket — until Harmanpreet Kaur and her team turned the tide on Sunday night. It was apt that the skipper took a superb catch to end South Africa’s innings in the final, securing India’s maiden ODI World Cup title. She and her team-mates rejoiced in front of 40,000-odd ecstatic spectators at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium — and so did a billion-plus people across the country. In a year of myriad tragedies — Pahalgam terror attack, Ahmedabad air crash, floods, landslides, stampedes — the triumph provided much-needed joy to a bruised nation.It was astonishing that the team made a great comeback in the tournament after having suffered three defeats on the trot. Not many people betted on the Indian girls against seven-time champions Australia in the semifinal. However, a gritty knock by Jemimah Rodrigues, ably supported by Harmanpreet, led India to a stunning win over the mighty Aussies. In the summit clash, Shafali Verma — who wasn’t even there in the squad when the World Cup began — and Deepti Sharma rose to the occasion in a brilliant fashion. Importantly, Team India peaked at the right time, reserving its best for the all-important last stretch.Women’s cricket has been dominated for decades by Australia, with England occasionally coming up trumps. This World Cup victory can set the stage for India’s long-term supremacy. Spurred by pay parity and an IPL-style T20 league, women cricketers in the country are making their presence felt like never before. Stars in their own right, they are no longer regarded as poor cousins of their much-sought-after male counterparts. The expectations and hopes will be sky-high from now on, and there will be many distractions as well. It won’t be easy for the players to retain their focus on the game. For the present, however, they have every reason to let their hair down and celebrate their hard-earned success. Well done, girls. Keep it up!

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