Gautam Gambhir and Jasprit Bumrah caught watching Women’s World Cup final in locker room | Cricket News
As Suryakumar Yadav’s India sealed a series-leveling victory in Hobart, another match quickly caught the attention of the entire dressing room. Moments after the five-wicket win, the focus inside the pavilion shifted to Navi Mumbai, where Harmanpreet Kaur’s India were taking on South Africa in the Women’s World Cup final. A photo that quickly went viral captured the scene perfectly – head coach Gautam Gambhir, ace pacer Jasprit Bumrahbatter Rinku Singh, defensive coach T Dilip and several other players and support staff glued to the screen, following every moment of the women’s team’s historic outing from the dressing room in Hobart.
Indian women are chasing their first World Cup crown. On Thursday, they stormed into the final after beating defending champions and seven-time winners Australia by five wickets in the semi-final at the DY Patil Stadium. This is India’s third appearance in a World Cup final, following previous editions in 2005 and 2017. The hosts have dominated South Africa in recent years, winning five of their last six ODIs, with their only defeat coming earlier in this tournament. South Africa, meanwhile, are playing in their first-ever World Cup final after beating four-time champions England by 125 runs in the Guwahati semi-final. In Navi Mumbai, the match started two hours late due to a wet outfield, but no over was lost. In batting, India fielded an unchanged team. Shafali Verma lit up the occasion with a dazzling 87 from 78 balls – his first fifty in over three years – taking India to 172 for three after 30 overs. His knock, studded with seven fours and two sixes, featured a 104-run opening stand with vice-captain Smriti Mandhana. Ayabonga Khaka took South Africa back with two quick wickets, dismissing Shafali and Rodrogue (24 years old), the Indian star in the semi-final. Shafali, recalled for the round of 16 after Pratika Rawal’s injury, was dropped in the 56th minute before finally falling to Khaka. At the time of writing, India reached 211 for three in 37 overs, building a strong platform for a potentially historic total in their quest for a maiden World Cup title.
