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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 fi nal 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 fi nal against Aus tralia in front of a record crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground here on Sunday.
Group topper India goes into the fi nal un beaten after topping the group stage where it beat fourtime champion Austra lia in the tournamentopen er. The refreshing fi repower 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 fi nal skirmish with a song on their lips. the right things on the fi eld, * 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 fi nal 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 semifi nal. made a sensational come see how the Australians play Alyssa Healy, Meg Lanning trakar, Taniya Bhatia, Radha Ya ries fi nal, fi nds itself in fami India will expect Shafali to back from a fi nger injury and Poonam on Sunday as the (Capt.), Jess Jonassen, Delissa dav, Harleen Deol, Arundhati liar territory having made its provide another fl ying 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 fi nal 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 fi res. 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 fi nal. “We were all in touch Melbourne and doing indoor training, A forced eightday break has but it doesn’t give you full aff ected India’s prepara confi dence because the sur tions going into the T20 face is totally diff erent. World Cup fi nal 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 fi rst 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 fi nal 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 fi red 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 fi nal. 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 fi rst 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 Jaff er 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 Jaff er’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 fi ne 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 Jaff er’s commitment and drive over a long period is unparalleled. cricketer from the IPL gener Wasim Jaff er 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 Jaff er has continued in the in the Ranji Trophy — Jaff er 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 Jaff er is stage. career turning out for Mum the plethora of records he temporaries and the next Jaff er’s rise in itself is an dra reclamation. Jaff er 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