South Africa's captain, Laura Wolvaardt has set an audacious goal for her team ahead of the Women's World Cup 2025 final against India, to silence the Indian fans at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium. As the two teams prepare to face off for the chance to be crowned a new World Cup champion, Wolvaardt's bold comment carries a distinct echo from recent cricket history.
Wolvaardt's plan to silence the home crowd
Her statement immediately brought to mind the famous pre-match remark made by Australia's men's captain, Pat Cummins, before the 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad. Cummins had publicly declared his desire to silence the crowd, a goal his team famously achieved by winning the title on the back of Travis Head’s century. Ahead of Sunday's clash, with over 90 percent of the spectators expected to be Indian supporters, Wolvaardt was asked by a journalist if she hoped to replicate Cummins' sentiment and quieten the massive home crowd. Her concise reply in the pre-match press conference was direct and confident: "Hopefully we win. I guess that will silence them. Yeah."
The history between the two finalists, South Africa and India, reveals a perfectly balanced rivalry, with their World Cup head-to-head record standing level at 3-3. Notably, India dominated the initial clashes, winning the first three meetings, but the momentum has since swung entirely in favor of the Proteas, who have retaliated with three consecutive victories to draw even. The Indian side has, in fact, not secured a win against South Africa in the tournament since their clash in Pretoria way back in 2005.
Adding to the recent trend, South Africa has already defeated India once during the ongoing World Cup, a victory largely attributed to the all-round brilliance of Nadine de Klerk. Despite this recent advantage and the historical pattern, South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt stated that her team is not dwelling on past results. She affirmed that the Proteas will approach the grand finale with a crucial fresh mindset, starting from zero, ensuring they focus entirely on the present challenge.
“Yeah, we're trying not to think too much about the past at all, I think. Yeah, like I said before, every cricket game starts at zero. We can't sort of bring any of our history into this game. Whether it would be finals that we've lost or games that we've won against India, we're just really trying to erase all of that stuff and start completely afresh in this game. Yeah, I think there's big pressure on both teams to perform, and I think whoever stays the calmest under that pressure is going to most likely come out on top tomorrow,” Wolvaardt said.
South Africa's jto the final
South Africa's campaign in the Women's World Cup began impressively, with the team securing a commanding 10-wicket victory over their rivals, England. However, despite this strong start, the Proteas finished third in the competitive league stage, forcing them into a difficult semifinal match. In that crucial semifinal, South Africa delivered a clinical performance to once again defeat Nat Sciver-Brunt's England side. This vital victory ensured their progression, securing their historic place in the final and earning them a chance to be crowned world champions.