Legendary India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar was all praise for the women's team for ending a 52-year drought and clicnhing their maiden World Cup title by defeating South Africa in the final on Sunday. Gavaskar was present at the D.Y. Patil stadium when Harmanpreet Kaur completed the catch of Nadine de Klerkand India bundled out the visitors. He labelled that moment as "magnificent" and said that he had a great time watching the match.
“What a wonderful time it was at the D.Y. Patil Stadium yesterday when Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of the Indian women’s team, took the catch for India to win the ICC Women’s World Cup. What a moment it was. It was a magnificent moment," Gavaskar said in a video posted on his Instagram account.
Gavaskar further highlighted how the Indian team fought back brilliantly after losing three consecutive matches during the league stage. He added that this World Cup triumph will be remembered for years to come.
“It was terrific to see the way the girls fought. They came back after having a difficult league stage, but the captain showed great character, great determination and went on to win the World Cup. It’s a moment to savour, it’s a moment to cherish, it’s a moment to remember for the ages," Gavaskar added.
“It’s a wonderful moment in the history of Indian cricket, men’s and women’s. Many, many congratulations to Harmanpreet Kaur and her team for giving us so much happiness, so much joy. The entire cricketing community is very, very proud of you. Well done, congratulations," he concluded.
India's unconvincing league stage
Team India had come under a lot of scrutiny after they had suffered three straight losses during the league stage of the World Cup. There were even calls to remove captain Harmanpreet K aur midway througgh the tournament. Many weren't hopeful of the team's chances to win the tournament after they had qualified for the semis with three wins from seven matches.
India turn up the heat in knockouts
However, the statement victory over Australia in the semi-finals changed everything. Suddenly, India had all the momentum in the world and there was a genuine belief that they will go on to win the tournament in front of their home crowd and that is exactly what happened. While South Africa ended up posing a great challenge, the Women in Blue eventually triumphed by 52 runs and scripted a victory that will live in the hearts of Indian fans for years to come.