Both sides are targeting their first World Cup title in any format.
Both teams are under pressure, Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt admits, as South Africa and India prepare to square off in the Women’s Cricket World Cup final in Mumbai on Sunday (11.30am start).
Neither team have previously won the World Cup, so a new champion will be crowned either way.
And while the Proteas are looking to make history as the first SA side to lift a World Cup trophy in a limited overs format, the Indian women’s team are in the same boat. And the hosts are turning out in front of the most passionate cricket fans on the planet.
“I think it’s going to be a tough match with the whole crowd behind India – probably a sold-out stadium – but at the same time I think it puts a lot of pressure on them as well,” Wolvaardt said on Saturday.
“They have the whole country behind them and are sort of expected to win, I guess, so I think it plays in our favour, hopefully.
“They’re a very good side and we’re going to have to play some really good cricket to beat them, but we’re very excited for the opportunity.”
Brushing aside past performances
While South Africa defeated India in the last three matches they played at World Cup tournaments in the ODI format since 2017, Wolvaardt said they were taking nothing for granted.
She insisted they would also not allow their defeats in the finals of the last two editions of the Women’s T20 World Cup to get into their heads.
“We’re trying not to think too much about the past at all. I think every cricket game starts at zero, so we can’t bring any of our history into this game, whether it be finals that we’ve lost or games we’ve won against India,” the skipper said.
“We’re really just trying to erase all of that stuff and start completely afresh in this game. I think there’s big pressure on both teams to perform, and whoever stays calmest under that pressure is going to most likely come out on top.”
‘Really special’ opportunity
Eager to become the first national side (men or women) to win a World Cup title in either the ODI or T20 formats, Wolvaardt said it would be a massive step forward for the women’s game back home.
“It would be really special for women’s cricket in the country,” she said.
“We’ve recently got a domestic league introduced, so I can only imagine what something like a World Cup trophy would do back at home, just the amount of girls who will see it on TV and be able to hear that we’re a World Cup winning nation. It’s hopefully very inspirational, and it would be awesome.”
