EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE DELHI THE HINDU 18 SPORT SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Australia has the edge, India the momentum It will be the defending champion’s sixth successive final while the Women in Blue haven’t lost a game in this edition T20 WORLD CUP Press Trust of India Melbourne India Women will have to overcome big­match pres­ sure as it aims to exorcise the ghosts of the past in the T20 World Cup final against Aus­ tralia in front of a record crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground here on Sunday. Group topper India goes into the final un­ beaten after topping the group stage where it beat four­time champion Austra­ lia in the tournament­open­ er. The refreshing firepower of 16­year­old Shafali Verma at the top and consistency of India’s spin­heavy bowling at­ tack has contributed mas­ sively to the team’s success so far. However, much more is needed from star batters Smriti Mandhana and Har­ manpreet if India is to win its maiden ICC trophy. The brit­ tle middle­order too needs to deliver. And besides doing Say cheese! Pop star Katy Perry may have just inspired the Indian women to go into the final skirmish with a song on their lips. the right things on the field, * GETTY IMAGES India will also have to win the battle of nerves. capitulated to England in the post competitive totals. Gayakwad has kept things The teams (from): Australia: namurthy, Deepti Sharma, Australia, having beaten 2017 ODI World Cup final and Leggie Poonam Yadav has tight. It will be interesting to Rachael Haynes, Megan Schutt, Jemimah Rodrigues, Pooja Vas­ India in the preceding tri­se­ 2018 World T20 semifinal. made a sensational come­ see how the Australians play Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning trakar, Taniya Bhatia, Radha Ya­ ries final, finds itself in fami­ India will expect Shafali to back from a finger injury and Poonam on Sunday as the (Capt.), Jess Jonassen, Delissa dav, Harleen Deol, Arundhati liar territory having made its provide another flying start is the tournament’s leading leggie was all over them in Kimmince, Beth Mooney, Nicola Reddy, Shafali Verma and Richa Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Sophie Ghosh. sixth successive final in seven and hope this time the expe­ wicket­taker with nine along­ the opener. Molineux, Georgia Wareham, Umpires: Kim Cotton, Ahsan editions. rienced Smriti also fires. side Australia pacer Megan Australia, led by Meg Lan­ Erin Burns, Molly Strano and Raza; TV umpire: Gregory The Australians know how There can’t be a bigger stage Schutt. ning, will be backing itself to Annabel Sutherland. Brathwaite; Fourth umpire: to win the big moments in for Harmanpreet to be back Pacer Shikha Pandey, too, win in front of the home fans, India: Harmanpreet Kaur Langton Rusere; Match refe- high­pressure games, while amongst the runs. has been impressive, while though a sizeable number of (Capt.), Smriti Mandhana, Shik­ ree: Chris Broad. the Indians have been found If it was not for Shafali, In­ the left­arm spin duo of Rad­ Indian fans too is expected at ha Pandey, Poonam Yadav, Ra­ Match starts at 12.30 p.m. wanting on that front. India dia would have struggled to ha Yadav and Rajeshwari the MCG. jeshwari Gayakwad, Veda Krish­ IST Harmanpreet’s words Forced break playing stirred me up: Poonam on captain’s mind Press Trust of India final. “We were all in touch Melbourne and doing indoor training, A forced eight­day break has but it doesn’t give you full affected India’s prepara­ confidence because the sur­ tions going into the T20 face is totally different. World Cup final on Sunday, “We did get some rest but the team is ready to rise too, because when you’re to occasion, said skipper playing for a long time, you Harmanpreet Kaur. need a break.” India had defeated Sri Harmanpreet said her Lanka in its last game on Sa­ team would look to enjoy turday, followed by a semifi­ the big stage and play posi­ nal washout, which meant tive cricket. the visitors haven’t played “It’s the first time we’re for the last eight days and going to see 90,000 people Get it right! Poonam Yadav has not looked back since Harmanpreet conceded her in the stadium and we’re drawing skipper Harmanpreet Kaur’s displeasure during team had been ‘restless’. really looking positive for the opener against Australia. * AFP “We haven’t been out­ that,” said Harmanpreet, doors much and we didn’t who played in front of a PRESS TRUST OF INDIA ‘Poonam, you’re one of the play the important game sold­out crowd in the 2017 Melbourne most experienced players in against England,” said Har­ World Cup final against En­ It was a stinging rebuke the team, and we expect manpreet on the eve of the gland at Lord’s. from skipper Harmanpreet better from you’,” Poonam Kaur during the tournament was quoted as saying by the opener against Australia ICC. that fired up Poonam Yadav, “So, that kind of stirred who eventually played an something within me. I told instrumental role in India’s myself if my captain has that march to its maiden Wo­ much faith in me, I should men’s T20 World Cup final. be able to make a come­ The 28­year­old Indian back. I took a wicket off the has emerged as India’s very next ball, and haven’t wrecker­in­chief with nine looked back since. wickets, including a four­ “Now when I look back at wicket haul in the opening that moment, it means so match. much in the context of my “When I got hit for a six in individual performance and the first over, she (Harman­ run to the Final,” said the Eye on the ball: Coach W.V. Raman has some words of advice preet) came to me and said, bowler from Agra. for Smriti Mandhana. * AFP A Nawab who stood out from the rest Wasim Jaffer carried on in the domestic circuit long after ending his international stint BIDDING ADIEU part of nine Ranji titles — may seem seamless but that Amol Karhadkar is the result of astonishing MUMBAI hardwork put in over the More than 24 years ago even years to be at his best. as Saurashtra’s batsmen were pounding the Mumbai End of an era bowlers on a placid Rajkot With Jaffer’s retirement, per­ track in a Ranji Trophy haps, comes the end of an league game, a Mumbai se­ era of domestic giants. He nior asked a rookie — playing may well be the last of those his second First Class game who continued to ply their — to egg the bowlers on and trade on the domestic cir­ pressurise the batsmen a bit. cuit for years after ending The novice replied: “ Woh their international sojourn. sab theek hai but apna bat- ting aayega kya (that’s fine He persisted with what he but will we get to bat at loved doing the most — bat­ all?).” ting long hours and passing on his work ethic to young­ Appetite for runs sters — for more than a de­ After Saurashtra declared at cade since his last interna­ a gargantuan 595 for four, tional appearance. the rookie came out to open Seldom will you see any and scored an unbeaten 314. Inspirational: Wasim Jaffer’s commitment and drive over a long period is unparalleled. cricketer from the IPL gener­ Wasim Jaffer had well and * VIVEK BENDRE ation returning to domestic truly arrived, taking his ap­ cricket after being dropped petite for runs from Mum­ announced his retirement Jaffer has continued in the in the Ranji Trophy — Jaffer who worship the purest a bus driver, he grew up in a on an open plot off the sea­ from the national team. That bai’s maidans to the bigger on Saturday after a glittering same vein. But more than has inspired both his con­ form of cricket. transit camp near the Ban­ side. is where Nawab — as Jaffer is stage. career turning out for Mum­ the plethora of records he temporaries and the next Jaffer’s rise in itself is an dra reclamation. Jaffer His rise to being an open­ fondly called by teammates Since then — and till he bai, India and Vidarbha — has notched up — especially generation, especially those inspirational tale. The son of would bat for endless hours er for India — and also be a — stood out from the rest. CM A ND-NDE YK.