Women's World Cup Final: The winners and losers as hosts England topple India in nail-biting finish

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  • England grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat against India in the ICC Women’s World Cup final played at Lord’s on Sunday to pull off an incredible nine run victory.

    The hosts were all but out of the game when Harmanpreet Kaur and Punam Raut were building a steady match winning partnership but an inspirational comeback changed the complexion of the game to hand England their fourth World Cup title.

    In a match fitting of a final, we take a look at both ends of the spectrum with the key performers along with the major disappointments.

    THE WINNERS

    ANYA SHRUBSOLE

    She was the player of the match without a doubt. The Somerset born pacer single-handedly won the fourth World Cup for England. Defending a modest but tricky total of 228 runs, Shrubsole provided the early much vaunted breakthrough by clean bowling Indian opener Smriti Mandhana in her very first over.

    Despite the early breakthrough, the Indians regrouped with the help of Punam Raut and semifinal star Harmanpreet Kaur. They were strolling along to their first World Cup title at 191 runs for the loss of three wickets when Shrubsole changed the entire complexion of the game.

    With just 36 runs to win with seven wickets in hand, India had one hand on the trophy. The English shoulders were dropping and frustration was creeping in among the players but Shrubsole never gave up on the quest and when she trapped Raut in front of the wicket in over number 43, it provided England with a glimmer of hope to do the impossible.

    Her dismissal of Raut started a mini-collapse for the Indians and in her very next over she had the threatening Veda Krishnamurthy miscuing a slog to midwicket. Just two deliveries later, she shattered veteran Jhulan Goswami’s stumps even before she had got her bat down.

    When Deepti Sharma looked like she would rise above the chaos and take India home, Shrubsole quelled that uprising too with a clever change in pace forcing Sharma to hole out a miscue to midwicket.

    It was only fitting that Shrubsole would deliver the death knell with her full and straight delivery evading India’s number 11 Rajshree Gayakwad slow defence to send the hosts to wonderland.

    SARAH TAYLOR

    The 28-year-old is probably the star factor of the England team. Her nimble hands behind the stumps have earned her the reputation of the best wicket-keeper in the women’s game.

    She backs it up with her fluid stroke play when in front of the stumps as shown with her 147 runs innings against South Africa in the group stage.

    On Sunday, Taylor came into bat after the dismissal of opener Laura Winfield and her task was compounded when Tamsin Beaumont followed her opening partner soon after.

    Taylor though was unfazed and she immediately settled into her groove. Along with all-rounder Natalie Sciver, she worked the bowlers around with her trademark sweeps.

    Taylor was looking extremely good in her stay of 45 runs before she was undone trying to run a Jhulan Goswami delivery to the fine leg boundary only to tickle the ball into the hands of Indian wicketkeeper Sushma Verma.

    Her role in the game was not yet over though and the superstar lived up to her reputation to affect a brilliant run out of Shikha Pandey in over number 48. Shikha Pandey took off for a risky single after a soft push to point but was sent back halfway by Deepti Sharma.

    The return throw from the point fielder was wayward but Taylor’s dexterity came into play as she took off the bails in acrobatic style leaving a diving Sharma well short of her crease.

    Taylor brought out her trademark shots in a fluent innings.

    Taylor brought out her trademark shots in a fluent innings.

    THE LOSERS

    MITHALI RAJ

    The veteran India skipper is the most experienced member of the squad with 186 ODI’s and over six thousand runs to her name. She is also the only squad member apart from Goswami to have ever experienced a World Cup final and a lot was expected of Raj coming into the final at Lord’s.

    She managed her troops well to restrict England to a below par score of 228 runs in their innings. In reply, Raj started in typical fashion being circumspect and watchful as she meandered along to 17 runs off 31 deliveries.

    Disaster struck for Raj and India in over number 13 bowled by off spinner Laura Marsh. Raj’s opening partner Raut nudged the first ball of the over to Sciver at short midwicket to take off for a quick single which was very much on.

    Raj responded positively to her partner’s call but inexplicably seemed to give up on the half way mark to be run out just inches short of her crease. That she was only a few inches short makes her decision to abort halfway even more astonishing.

    Being the skipper of the side along with the most experienced, there are no excuses for Raj giving up in the probably the biggest game she has ever played for her nation.

    Her forlorn expressions on the sidelines as the Indians came undone in the death expressed that of a player who has just threw the World Cup away. She will find it difficult to watch the replays of her dismissal when she goes back to the hotel tonight.

    SMRITI MANDHANA

    The opening partner of Punam Raut kicked off the World Cup campaign with a smashing 90 runs against England and followed it up with a century against the West Indies in the next game.

    Since then the Mumbai based 21-year-old has just racked up a mere 36 runs in the last six games coming into the final. There was pressure on Mandhana to perform after the dismal run and a final would have been the perfect stage to redeem herself.

    Sadly, it proved to be a hurdle too high for Mandhana who was dismissed in the second over of the Indian innings by the star of match Shrubsole. An innocuous length ball crept through between the bat and pad of Mandhana’s forward defence to hit off stump before she had even opened her score.

    A World Cup final duck will hurt the youngster but it will be compounded by the poor form coming into the match. A chance for Mandhana to redeem herself ended up being a damp squib in the end. With age on her side, Mandhana will learn from the experience but another World Cup final may be hard to come by.

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