“Well, the semi-final was a very high-pressure game and very intense,” Harmanpreet Kaur reminded reporters at the DY Patil Stadium, 24 hours before India meet South Africa in the Women’s ODI World Cup final. “After that, recovery was something which we all paid more attention to because the fresher we are, mentally, for the final, the better it will be.”
Those words set the tone for a week in which India’s players have talked more about ice-baths, meditation apps and early nights than cover-drives. There is method in the calm. Two evenings ago they squeezed past Australia, serial champions, in a semi-final that left several Indian fielders on their haunches when the winning run was scored. The skipper herself wept during the post-match huddle. Now she wants an even keel.
Because—again, her words—“there is nothing bigger than this in our life as a cricketer and as a captain.” That is why the squad spent Friday in stretching sessions instead of optional nets. The following morning they met the back-room psychologist for what one member called “a reminder to breathe.”
India have reached a third Women’s World Cup final; South Africa, their first. The hosts know all too well that finishing second is a hollow memory. “We know pretty well how it feels after losing [a World Cup final],” Harmanpreet said. “We’re really looking forward to the feeling of winning a final. Hopefully it’s going to be a special day for us tomorrow.”
That urge to stay balanced is becoming a refrain. “Keeping yourself balanced and focused is something which is the key,” she added. “We are having those sessions where we have been talking about how we can be more focused and more balanced and at the same time keeping ourselves relaxed because this is the biggest stage and biggest opportunity for us, playing in home conditions and that also final match.”
The captain is into her fifth World Cup but her first at the helm. The group phase was jagged—three wins from seven—and India reached the knock-outs only after other results broke their way. They twice collapsed against Sri Lanka and Pakistan before recovering to win, then lost to each of the three higher-ranked sides: South Africa, Australia and England. At one stage they sat sixth on the ladder; at another they risked needing a calculator to stay alive. Only on arrival in Navi Mumbai, a venue where India’s women have enjoyed past success, did the collective shoulders loosen.
Aakash Chopra believes Sunday could be the moment women’s cricket in India tilts for good. Speaking on a domestic broadcast he said, “India winning the WC will change the landscape of the game in the world.” He would like an “engaging final” in which both sides have their chances, though a straightforward Indian victory would no doubt suit the locals in the stands.
Raunak Kapoor, analysing that see-saw semi-final, argued India had to “start from scratch” once Australia were behind them. The message tallies neatly enough with the captain’s: the only way to hit a big goal is to focus on the next small one. “Our focus is to enjoy this moment and keep taking small targets which we have to achieve as a team rather than thinking bigger targets because you can achieve bigger targets if you achieve the small targets,” she said.
Tactically, there is plenty for coach Amol Muzumdar and his staff to iron out. India’s batting has thrived when Smriti Mandhana has time to settle and faltered when she goes early. The middle order, rich in stroke-makers, can be brittle under the short ball, a tactic South Africa employed in the league fixture. Seam bowler Pooja Vastrakar is managing a niggle; the physios say she is “tracking well”, yet backup seamer Meghna Singh shadow-bowled throughout Friday’s warm-up in case plans change. South Africa, meanwhile, have played calm, percentage cricket all tournament, led by Laura Wolvaardt’s run-glut and Ayabonga Khaka’s knack of prising out set batters.
India’s advantage, undeniably, is the noise. A full DY Patil is a sensory overload even before a ball is bowled, and organisers expect the “house full” signs to go up by mid-morning. Ask any of the squad—Shafali Verma, Sneh Rana, Mandhana herself—and they all circle back to one point: keep the mind clear while the ground goes wild.
“Because we have been working hard for so many years and we have been batting day and night, whenever our batters camped or there were team camps,” Harmanpreet explained. “So, skill-wise we know we have done a lot and now it’s only about keeping ourselves fresh for tomorrow and recovery is something which we all talk about, and everybody is really taking that thing very seriously and hopefully tomorrow we will feel even fresher for the main game.”
Whether that freshness is enough will be known soon enough. For now the message is simple: turn up with an uncluttered head, play the next ball, and trust that the small things add up. If it clicks, India have the chance to swap those semi-final tears for something more celebratory.
