It’s India vs Oz WC final again

The revenge came about mainly because of the captain Mithali Raj’s ‘‘innings of her life’’.

The Indians, put to bat by the Kiwis, were two down for a mere 38 runs, when Mithali joined Anjum Chopra in the middle. ‘‘If at all I had to score, it had to be today,’’ she told herself and later, to The Indian Express, from South Africa.

The skipper scored a match-winning 91 to remain unbeaten and steer India to a comfortable 204/6 in the allotted 50 overs. ‘‘Once we crossed the 200-run mark, there was a sigh of relief,’’ Mithali said. ‘‘The Kiwis are good chasers. They know well how to convert the ones into the twos … so I thought we did a pretty good job.’’

Mithali spoke of an intuition that remained within the team all along that they ‘‘would make it to the final.’’ Although, ‘‘it was the morning of the match that made us all the more determined. Before the match we thought — this is the time we have to do it’’ she recollected.

Mithali went on to explains how the victory was important for the team in many ways and complimented her team for the stupendous effort.

A minor glitch for Mithali, besides her missed ton, was a knee sprain she suffered while fielding. But things aren’t all that bleak as the Indian skipper is confident of regaining her fitness for the all-important final.

The openers continued to be a worry for the Indians with Jaya Sharma being sent back for a duck. While wicket-keeper batsman Jain also failed with the bat, it was Anjum and Mithali who stood together in a 56-run partnership for the third wicket, to bring the side to safer shores.

For the Kiwis, veteran Rachel Pullar remained the most dangerous bowler with figures 4/39. In the chase that followed, Maria Fahey kept the match on the edge until the last wicket with an unbeaten 73 from 94 balls.

The Indians will now take on the Australians in a repeat of the men’s final on April 10, only hoping for a different result.

BRIEF SCORES

: 204 for 6 wkts in 50 overs (Anjum Chopra 44, Mithali Raj 91no; Pullar 4/39) beat New Zealand: 164 all out in 43.4 overs (S McGlashan 23; M Fahey 73; A Sharma 3/24, Al Khader 3/39, David 2/28) by 40 runs.