INDIAN WOMENS CRICKET TEAM

BCCI REWARDS THE INDIAN WOMENS CRICKET TEAM

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced that the players of Indian women cricket team will get Rs 50 lakh for their outstanding performance in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 held in England. The women’s team has been in sublime form since the tournament began and it appears that the BCCI took note and announced the reward. Indian womens cricket team just lost 2 matches in the whole tournament to reach to the semi-finals. They beats defending champions Australia by 35 runs in the second semi-finals while England beat South Africa by in the first semi final.Harmanpreet Kaur’s unbeaten 171 remained the highlight of the semi finals where India thrashed out Australia . This is the India’s only second appearance in the final of the competition and the last time they played in the championship match was in 2005 India won five out of their seven matches. “It was also not easy for England,” as promised India captain Mithali Raj after her side’s stunning semi-final win over six-times champions Australia.

MP GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED REWARD

Madhya Pradesh government has announced a cash reward of Rs 50 lakh for Indian women’s team after they finished as runners-up in the ICC World Cup 2017. India were defeated by nine runs by the hands of England at Lord’s . Chasing a target of 229, the Mithali Raj-led side failed to cross the target given by England team. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced that the reward will be given to the team at a grand ceremony in Bhopal when the womens cricket team will return back to India.

METHALI RAJ ASKED FOR THE WOMENS LEAGUE LIKE IPL

Mithali Raj has said the Indian team was nervous in the final of the ICC. Women’s World Cup against England and stated that in order to deal with such a pressure, a female equivalent of the Indian Premier League is needed. India captain Mithali Raj said now was time to “create the base” of a female equivalent to the Indian Premier League after her side’s hopes of Women’s World Cup final glory were taken away by England at Lord’s. Raj’s side looked on course to lift the trophy for the first time at 191 for three, chasing 229 for victory, in final at the ‘home of cricket’. But on the same Lord’s ground where India’s men had won an inaugural World Cup title back in 1983, they lost their last seven wickets for just 28 runs to be bowled out for 219 with eight balls to left.

Mistakes Indian womens team made in final

India did little wrong for the better part of the chase against England in the final of ICC Women’s World Cup 2017. They were in control while Punam Raut, Harmanpreet Kaur and later Veda Krishnamurthy. Punam Raut and Harmanpreet Kaur shared a 95-run stand for the third wicket and even when they got out latter, it looked like India would get to the target of 229 runs. But it all went horribly wrong after Raut’s wicket fell. Veda Krishnamurthy could not hold a falling batting lineup together on her own and India ended up losing their last seven wickets for just 28 runs. Here are a few areas that looked to be where England were superior to India on the day.

Experience:

In the end, England, who won their fourth World Cup title on Sunday, showed why experience matters. While India were playing only their second final, first in 12 years, England were finalists five times and looked relaxed even when the going got tough. India, on the other hand, looked under the weather when Krishnamurthy was dismissed. They looked like a team of players who did not know what to do in a situation like this and they can’t be blamed. It really was the first time they found themselves in a situation where they were so close yet so far from a World Cup title.

Homework:

She starred for India and helped the team win against Australia in the semi-final. Her 171-run innings had 20 fours and seven sixes. But, Harmanpreet needed a different approach in the final. The England bowlers bowled a straight line to her. That is why she could play only one run on the off-side while 50 other were on the leg side.

Fielding:

Sarah Taylor effected two run-outs and almost pulled off a stumping of Deepti Sharma. Fielding, more often than not, is where a team can win or lose the mental battle, which is central to a match as big as a World Cup final. England made the difference in the field on Sunday. Indian were guilty of overthrows and misfields which cost them many runs. On the other hand, England were spot-on and did not give any easy runs.

Pressure:

Mithali Raj was not the picture of calmness as she has been for the better part of the tournament after the dismissal of Veda Krishnamurthy. The nervousness she felt seemed to be one that was shared by the entire team. Every time a new batter came in, she brought in that nervousness with her. It is the only way one can explain why a player would go for a lofted shot when only 11 runs are needed to win from 18 balls. Those nerves, in the end, cost them the match and the Cup.

INDIAN FANS GOT HEARTBREAK

There was heartbreak for India as Mithali Raj and Co faltered at the last hurdle in the Women's World Cup 2017, losing by a whisker against England. This was the second time that India finished runner-up in the showpiece event, having lost in the final to Australia in 2005 as well. England won their fourth world title, and while there were contrasting emotions, Sunday's final was a magnificent advertisement for women's cricket in general in India in particular. It was an anti-climactic result for India since they were well on course for a memorable triumph, sitting pretty at 191 for three in 42.5 before a batting collapse saw them bowled out for 219 in 48.4 overs. Indian players are dejected after losing final against England in the Women's World Cup. Needing just 38 runs off 43 balls, the Indian lower middle order committed harakiri losing seven wickets for 28 runs in 6.5 overs. Opener Punam Raut (86) and Harmanpreet Kaur's (51) steady half centuries had set the platform but once they departed it was far from a smooth ride as England's consistent strikes turned . Veda Krishnamurthy (35 off 34 balls), Sushma Verma's (0) and Jhulan Goswami (0) were dismissed in space of nine balls. Krishnamurthy had raised hopes with a cameo but her sloppy shot selection off Anya Shrubsole in the 45th over changed the script as it exposed the tailenders to a pressure situation which they could not deal with it. Nevertheless, the Indian women's team emerged as a force in world cricket with some inpsiring peformances such as Harmanpreet Kaur's fearless strokeplay. However, it was one last chance for captain Raj and veteran Jhulan to have a world title in their cupboards.

 India were making their second appearance in a World Cup final. They lost their previous final, against Australia in Centurion, by 98 runs in 2005. A proven performer for far too long, Jhulan delivered with three wickets in the most widely watched game in the history of women's cricket as India restricted the hosts to 228 for seven. Smriti Mandhana (0) must have been desperate to break her run-less streak but a four-ball duck ended her campaign in the tournament as Shrubsole crashed through her defence in the second over of the Indian innings. Raj (17 off 31) and Raut added 38 runs for the second wicket before the captain trudged back to pavilion following a lazy run out. Surprisingly, Raj gave up half way after Raut called her for a run. India were steady, going little under four an over, but England were fielding well to ensure there were no freebies. Harmanpreet came to the crease with a bag of burden on her shoulder and batted with maturity. In company of Raut, she kept the scoreboard ticking and twice lofted left-arm sppiner Alex Hartley over the ropes, signalling that things were very much under control. India reached 100 in the 27th over and Raut rasied her half-century with a single off Shrubsole. Harmanpreet too got to the milestone soon when she glanced Katherine Brunt to fine leg. With two batswomen going about their business untroubled, India had a firm control over the proceedings. But England got exactly what India did not want to lose at that time: Harmanpreet's wicket. The Moga girl swept Hartley straight to Tammy Beaumont at deep square leg when even England had not expected a wicket and that too of the most dangerous batter in Indian line-up. She did not set the field on fire like the way she batted against Australia but it was a significant knock, although it did not prove to be enough in the end.

 Earlier, the coin landed in England's favour at the toss was hardly a deterrent as India went about the task in a professional manner. Leading the show was the redoubtable Jhulan, who scythed through the English middle-order. The highlight of the lanky bowler's outing was the back-to-back dismissals of Sarah Taylor and Fran Wilson, which pegged England back. Taylor is a legend of the women's game and Sciver entered the marquee match on the back of two centuries, and Jhulan had them caught behind and trapped in front of the wicket. In what could be her last match, Taylor walked off to an ovation from the almost sell-out Lord's crowd after scoring 45 off 62 balls. The veteran English batswoman, surprisingly, could not hit a boundary in her innings.