New Delhi: In sports, form is everything. When a team is in form, everything it touches turns into gold. If form is good, the mental state is positive, body language confident and the ability to execute skills is optimum. But when a team is out of form, all the confidence, technique, and temperament suddenly come under the scanner.
It’s really important for a team to enter a big tournament like the World Cup in good form to stand a chance of winning the trophy or competing against the best.
That’s why New Zealand winning the ICC Women’s World Cup 2024 defies all logic.
The Kiwis came on the back of a horrendous run of results. They suffered a humiliating whitewash in England in the summer, losing three ODIs and five T20Is before slumping to a 0-3 defeat against Australia in the T2oI series in September.
With no wins in the last 10 games, New Zealand entered the World Cup in UAE in the worst possible form with all the odds against them.
But the beauty of sports and its unpredictability is what makes it so exciting and attractive and New Zealand showed that with a great collective effort to win their maiden title.
So how exactly did the Kiwis manage to pull off the sensational title triumph?
Comprehensive victory over India set the tone
The Kiwis landed in UAE as the rank outsiders and the game against India would be the most important match of their campaign. India, on the other hand, entered the tournament as favourites but got a reality check against a spirited and strong-headed team. The Kiwis made their intentions clear with a crushing 58-run win over the 2020 finalists, sending shockwaves rippling through the cricketing world.
New Zealand took the setback in the second game against Australia in their stride and went on a roll, gathering unstoppable momentum to defeat Sri Lanka, Pakistan and West Indies coming into Sunday’s final, where they put on a relentless show, allowing no respite to the South African bowlers and batters.
35-year-old Sophie Devine, who is playing her last World Cup in all likelihood said the win against India set the tone.
“It’s really hard to pinpoint one moment or one game. Probably most recently is that India game, though. I think that was probably the most complete performance we’ve had since the World Cup in South Africa and everything did come together,” she said.
Extra motivation
There was an added motivation for the Kiwis to give a perfect send-off to Devine and 37-year-old Suzie Bates, who have been teammates since 2006. The pair has seen it all, living and breathing all the highs and lows of New Zealand cricket including back-to-back final defeats in 2009 and 2010, to the 10 consecutive losses leading into this tournament. Possibly playing their last World Cup, both veteran players recieved a perfect send-off in their 18th year of international cricket.
While neither had a ground-breaking tournament in terms of statistics and numbers, their experience and influence rubbed onto their teammates.
Bates’ sedate yet solid starts at the top of the order allowed her 20-year-old partner Georgia Plimmer to express herself freely while Devine’s presence in the middle order and leadership allowed Melie Kerr to shine as an all-rounder.
The unlikely win for New Zealand offers hope and confidence for women’s cricket which has been predictable since time immemorial with Australia’s winning six of the past seven titles.
