Navi Mumbai, Nov 1 Captain Harmanpreet Kaur on Saturday said India playing South Africa in the final of the ICC Women's ODI World Cup is good for the game as it breaks the dominance of Australia and England, who have won 11 titles between them, and at least one of them has figured in the final of every edition so far.
Australia have won the title of the tournament that started in 1973 on seven occasions, while England has won the title four times. New Zealand is the only other nation to win the title, and the 2025 edition will produce a first-time champion.
"First of all, it's nice to see two different teams. Because we have seen for many years that Australia has been dominating in world cricket. England was also at the same stage. I am happy to see two different teams, because we can see more excitement. It is very special for us to reach the finals," said Harmanpreet Kaur in the pre-match press conference on Saturday.
The 36-year-old Indian all-rounder said the demand for tickets for the final is a good thing for cricket.
"Not only for us, but for Indian fans also. Because they have been the biggest support for us, and about the tickets, you know how it is. But yeah, I mean, there are rarely a few days when there's pressure for these small things. So I think it's good that not only cricket but there is pressure for tickets also," she said.
Harman agreed that reaching the final at home will have a big impact on women's cricket in India, just like it did when India played the final in 2017.
"Yeah, last time when we reached the finals, after coming back, we saw a big change in India. Women's cricket has progressed, and we saw a lot of girls on the ground. So I'm sure that when we win this final, we will see many more changes and cricket will see more improvements, not only on the international level but also on the domestic level. There will be many more improvements. I think we are really looking forward to that moment, where Women's cricket will get more seriousness and more viewership," said the India captain.
Harmanpreet said the last eight years since India's last appearance in the ODI World Cup final in 2017 have changed the approach and mindset of the players towards the game, and felt that experience will help in Sunday's final.
"Yes, even after that, if you see, there were a lot of ups and downs for the team. We have prepared ourselves in the last two years to put ourselves in every condition. If such a situation comes up, what can we do? We have tried our best. Now it's only about everything coming together and helping the team to pass that line," said the 36-year-old cricketer from Punjab.
The India captain said suffering three big losses in the group stage did not impact her team as the players had a positive mindset.
"I think we didn't shake up even once in the team because even though we lost three big losses, even after that, everyone was together, and we were all saying that we still have a great opportunity to reach the finals. So I think that was a positive mindset that helped us reach the finals. When your team has such a positive mindset and everyone wants to play, to do good for the country and win the World Cup, I think we were definitely talking about what we wanted to improve, but at the same time, we were all looking at the same goal.
"This is a long process; there are ups and downs. Some teams win, some lose. But at the end of the day, it's about how we reach the end. We were talking about this journey. What do we have to do after this defeat? We have to improve ourselves, and along with that, we have to stay together and help each other. I think that really shows how positive characters are in the team and everyone helped each other," she added.
The Indian captain said they have learned their lessons from the group stage defeat to South Africa in Visakhapatnam and added that Sunday will be a different day.
"No doubt they played cricket very well, even though their start was not that good. Even after that, the way they came back to this tournament, I think that's outstanding to watch. I think it's a very balanced side. We know that they have a good bowling attack, and at the same time, there is a lot of depth in batting. But our team has also got a lot of positives. I think tomorrow's match is going to be very interesting and we are mentally and physically preparing ourselves for that level and hopefully we will enjoy ourselves tomorrow," said the India captain.
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