India captain Mithali Raj praised her team for putting up a tough fight against England in the final of the ICC Women’s World Cup at The Lord’s on Sunday after a heartbreaking loss. The Indian women’s team was beaten under pressure and lost the match a by 9 runs. England, on the other hand, claimed their fourth title.
However, Mithali said she was proud of her girls for terrific performances throughout the tournament. She also hoped that this will now inspire people in India to “look up to women cricketers”.
“It wasn’t easy for England but credit to them for holding their nerve. They did well in those crunch moments which turned the game. I want to tell my girls that I am very proud of them. They didn’t make it easy for any of the teams. I am sure people at home would now look up to women cricketers,” Mithali said.
Indian women team suffered a batting collapse that led them to lose in their second World Cup final. Mithali said her team’s “inexperienced” batters couldn’t hold their nerves. “The batting was a little inexperienced and they couldn’t hold their nerve in the end overs. I am sure this experience will help the batters,” she added.
The skipper also praised “world class” pacer Jhulan Goswami. She said the 34-year-old was an inspiration to many budding cricketers. Goswami is the leading wicket-taker in women’s ODI cricket history. “Jhulan is a class bowler; she has shown it a number of times. Jhulan has had an excellent career, very long and inspirational for young cricketers,” she said.
Mithali also thanked the crowd in England for turning up in large numbers to support women’s cricket. “I do see myself playing for a couple of years but I don’t see myself playing another World Cup. I would also like to thank the crowds for coming up in large numbers to support women’s cricket,” Mithali concluded.
