India take on South Africa in game-changing Women’s Cricket World Cup final with first-time winner guaranteed | Cricket News

Sunday’s Women’s Cricket World Cup final will be a ‘recovered from adversity’ derby.

Few would have predicted South Africa being in this position after they were bundled out for just 69 by England in their opening game.

The Proteas were also outsiders heading into their semi-final versus England after being shredded for 97 by Australia, and leg-spin maestro Alana King, in their last group fixture.

For hosts India, hopes of making the knockouts were waning after three straight league losses, to Australia, South Africa and England.

But here we are.

India are into their third World Cup final after rallying in the round-robin phase and then pulling of a Jemimah Rodrigues-inspired run chase for the ages – perhaps the greatest in women’s ODIs – to dump out defending champions and seven-time winners Australia.

South Africa are into their first final, after three previous semi-final losses, having trounced England by 125 runs due to a batting masterclass from captain Laura Wolvaardt and a bowling one from the most passionate of cricketers, Marizanne Kapp.

Hussain: It has gone wild in India

We are guaranteed a new winner of the Women’s World Cup – England (four times) and New Zealand (once) are the only sides bar Australia to have held the trophy so far.

This final will be game-changing, particularly, you feel, if India win it.

Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast, Nasser Hussain said: “India have been slowly awakening. They still need to win this thing but the win over Australia felt like a pivotal moment for women’s cricket and women’s cricket in India.

“If you panned to the crowd and saw the amount of young girls watching, you cannot be one of those and not be inspired with what you saw.

“It has gone wild. Not quite the moment in Johannesburg when India’s men won the T20 World Cup in 2007 under MS Dhoni but if they win it here on Sunday, I think it will be very difficult to stop the juggernaut that is India women’s cricket.”

Hussain’s fellow pundit Mel Jones added: “I think about the commercial impact of what this team is doing. Smriti [Mandhana’s] face is everywhere, on every billboard. That is her as a player but also as a brand, a commodity almost.

“This team will have a brand around them that will shift them into a whole new [level]. That shifts the dynamic of the sport. The WPL (Women’s Premier League) has been set up but this might mean potentially two more teams.”

‘Both of these sides will feel they’ve climbed their Everest’

South Africa can pop the India balloon this weekend and if they do, they will become the first cricket team from their nation to win a senior World Cup.

The men have made it to five 50-over World Cup semi-finals, as well as last year’s T20 World Cup final, but are yet to pick up silverware, although they did get their hands on the World Test Championship trophy with victory over Australia at Lord’s in June.

For the women, meanwhile, the progression has been steady.

Back-to-back runners-up finishes in the T20 World Cup, falling short against Australia in 2023 and New Zealand in 2024, and now their first final in the 50-over domain.

Jones thinks that South Africa leaving Guwahati – where they hammered England – and trekking to Navi Mumbai for the final will “play into their hands”, eliminating any danger of over-celebrating at their hotel had they had the luxury of staying in the same place.

That is something India must now avoid, with Navi Mumbai the scene of their upset against Australia.

Hussain added: “For me, the biggest challenge for both of these sides is that they will feel like they’ve climbed their Everest.

“They’ve won massive semi-finals, but that’s not their Everest. You’ve got to treat this final as your big game, not the last one.”

Hussain hails Rodrigues and Wolvaardt

The fact India and South Africa are in this position owes much to a pair of classy batters. Rodrigues in India’s case and Wolvaardt in South Africa’s.

Rodrigues spoke ever so candidly and emotionally about her battles with anxiety after her 127 not out against Australia, while Wolvaardt showed her eagerness to improve as she mixed poise and power to amass 169 versus England.

Hussain said of Rodrigues: “I was elated for her, she is just a wonderful human being.

“Behind the smile she has always got on her face, playing her guitar or dancing, she felt pressure and anxiety and that she was letting people down. To pull off an innings like that speaks volumes for her.”

On Wolvaardt, Hussain added: “She could just coast and play for South Africa for the next decade but she wants to be better than very good, she wants to win games for her country.

“At the end of her innings, she went over midwicket, mid-on.

“You could see with her facial expressions that she was more proud and amazed by that six-hitting than the standard cover drive she has played for a number of years.

“She has worked at it and it came good in a massive game.”

There is now another massive game on Sunday. Can South Africa stop the India juggernaut?

Watch the Women’s Cricket World Cup final, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 9am on Sunday (9.30am first ball in Navi Mumbai). Stream contract-free with NOW.