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And a couple of post-mortems.
First Australia:
Then England:
Raf’s preview of today’s big match.
South Africa's captain: Laura Wolvaardt
And some soft snow calm from Laura Wovaardt.
“Mandla [Mashimbyi, South Africa head coach] normally does the really inspirational stuff, the ‘you’re carrying your country’ type of thing. And then I think I’d just come with a little ‘stay calm, girls’ at the end. There’s going to be a lot of noise, a lot happening, a lot of maybe different routines than you’re used to in a normal game. But at the end of the day, we’re going to have to do the basics for longer throughout the game, and hold the nerve for longer. I think just holding on and staying calm is going to go a long way tomorrow.”
“I’m trying not to think too far ahead; just really sort of slow it down. I think the first time you’re in those finals, it feels like a really big, fast-paced event. We’re going to need to slow down and take a big breath, and hope we’re able to do that as a group.”
India's captain: Harmanpreet Kaur
Harmanpreet, whose face tells a thousand, ten thousand, stories, wept as India turned over Australia. She was more composed on Saturday night.
“I think the most important thing is that we have to enjoy this because there is nothing bigger than this in our life as a cricketer and as a captain. So our focus is to enjoy this moment and keep taking small targets which we have to achieve as a team rather than thinking bigger targets because you can achieve bigger targets if you achieve the small targets.”
“As a player, these moments are very important. To beat a team like Australia, which is a big team and has always done well on the world stage. It’s not an easy thing to perform and be mentally strong in front of them. But I think overcoming that hurdle was something very special to all of us. I always tell my team that you don’t need to control your emotions. If you feel like crying, cry. At the same time, just keep enjoying. I think there is no bigger achievement or thing for us. Tomorrow is a special day and we will go with the same mindset.”
Preamble
Are you ready for a new chapter? A new name on an old trophy?
A sell-out crowd is waiting at Navi Mumbai for these two sides, who turned over the old order in their semi-finals. Harmanpreet Kaur’s generational India play Laura Wolvaardt’s under- the radar-South Africa – England and Australia watching from their sofas. Two totemic captains, two sides chock-a-block with talent.
This feels like a game changer. Stay with us as we count every over.
