Former India captain and Asia’s representative in the ICC Women’s Committee Shubhangi Kulkarni predicted England will be under pressure in front of the home crowd on Sunday.
In an interview to The Hindu, she described Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored an unbeaten 171 off 115 balls against Australia in the semifinals, as a big match player. She will witness the final to be played at Lord’s. Excerpts
What are your expectations for the final?
India has beaten England in the group game and hence expectations will be high. I also feel England will be under pressure in front of the home crowd.
What’s your take on Mithali Raj, who has become a vital cog in India’s machine?
Mithali’s batting figures say it all. She is a very stylish player with amazing determination, discipline and focus. The fact that she is able to score 6000-plus runs in ODIs when a lot of players of her age have hung up their boots speak about her abilities. We expect her to score a 100 every time she goes out to bat. We are lucky and proud to have her in our side.
Harmanpreet has finally come into her own... how would you put down her batting against Australia ?
Brilliant! Harman is capable of playing big innings and huge shots. Her batting is fearless and the reputation of the opposition or bowler doesn’t bother her. She’s a big-match player.
Smriti Mandhana started off well, but seems to have gone into a rut after the century against the West Indies...
Smriti is one of the most exciting batters in women’s cricket. She is young and will learn from mistakes. I am sure she will work on her weaknesses and better her game.
The format of the World Cup — round-robin league among 8 teams followed by knock-outs — must have made it tough on most teams...
It gave everyone a fair chance. If a team had one bad day, they still had a chance to come back; so eventually the best teams reached the top.
Playing the final at Lord’s...
A dream come true for many of those out there. If India wins here, it will be a game-changer for women’s cricket.