Mithali Raj is the only India captain, male or female, to lead the country in two ICC World Cup finals. It's safe to say Mithali is wiser with experience.

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When she leads the country in the 2017 final against hosts England at Lord's Cricket Ground in London on Sunday, Mithali will be aware that she and her team will have to reverse the result of the only other World Cup final the Indian eves have played in, where they lost to Australia by 98 runs chasing 216.

In one of her regular conversations with Mithali the morning after India's semifinal victory on Thursday, former India off-spinner Nooshin Al Khadeer told her best friend that the road to this final has drawn a lot of similarities to their previous entry into the title clash in 2005 in Centurion, South Africa.

However, she had something more to point out.“Make sure what we did in that final does not repeat here,” Khadeer told Mithali over the phone from Hyderabad on Friday.

Khadeer, who represented Karnataka in national tournaments but has been working in Hyderabad with South Central Railway, was a member of the 2005 final Indian team that surrendered to the Aussies.

But, Khadeer fondly remembers that journey 12 years ago.

“First and foremost, the same 11 played the entire World Cup – all eight matches (league game against Sri Lanka was abandoned without a ball being bowled). The format was also the same like the current one, we played each of the other seven teams once before the semifinals and the final.

“The day before our semifinal (against New Zealand), it rained. This time, rain delayed the start of the semifinal. We lost to New Zealand in the league but beat them in the semis. Here, Mithali’s team lost to Australia in the league and beat them in the semifinal. In the semifinals of 2005 as well as 2017, India batted first and won.”

What’s more, India defeated the then defending champions New Zealand in the semis. This time around, Australia, the holders, were eliminated by India in the last-four stage.

The only difference Khadeer said was the realisation of the importance of a World Cup victory.

“That awareness (in the people’s minds) was not there in 2005. Back home in India today, people are expecting India to do well and win the World Cup,” she said.

Khadeer’s teammate, Anju Jain, who topped the wicket-keeper’s charts with 17 dismissals in 2005 World Cup, recalled that the team was so excited to enter the final that they lost focus of trying to win it.

“After we beat New Zealand in the semifinal, we were all so excited and happy to enter our first final. I can’t explain that feeling in words. That excitement got the better of us so much so that we may not have prepared well for the final. Only after Australia’s innings ended did we realise the enormity of the occasion. We gave them a couple of chances,” Jain said.

Another similarity between the two Cups is that the Indians topped the wicketkeepers' chart. Emulating Jain, Sushma Verma has so far accounted for 14 wickets with her skills behind the wickets.

Khadeer, who picked up 11 wickets in that World Cup, said: “When we went into the 2005 WC, beating the defending champions was unexpected for a young Indian team. The team atmosphere was such that when we travelled to South Africa 15 days earlier for preparation, the only thing we had on our mind was to play the final. How we entered the final, what we had to go through to play the final, none of us were aware of. The only motive was to play that final. Maybe, if we corrected the motive and said that had to win the final, may be would have won it.”

Khadeer, 36, is not surprised at India’s entry into the 2017 final. She said: “It was expected because the way the team was playing lot of ODIs in past two years, there has not been too much change to the unit. Playing a lot of matches together and gelling well as a team is very important.

“The balance of the team has been maintained. We also have a lot of performers. Earlier, we would expect only Mithali to get us the runs. Now, there are many. The way Harmanpreet played in the semifinal, Smriti Mandhana in the earlier part of the tournament, the bowlers also doing quite well.”

Khadeer believed that the current team can go one step further. “This team has the mindset to win the final. I don’t see why India can’t win the Cup. This team is looking very fearless. They are ready for any challenge,” she said.

ROAD TO FINAL

INDIA

League stage

Beat England by 35 runsBeat West Indies by 7 wicketsBeat Pakistan by 95 runsBeat Sri Lanka by 16 runsLost to South Africa by 115 runsLost to Australia by 8 wicketsBeat New Zealand by 186 runs

Semifinals

Beat Australia by 36 runs

ENGLAND

League stage

Lost to India by 35 runsBeat Pakistan by 107 runs (D/L)Beat Sri Lanka by 7 wicketsBeat South Africa by 68 runsBeat Australia by 3 runsBeat New Zealand by 75 runsBeat West Indies by 92 runs

Semifinals

Beat South Africa by 2 wickets

DID YOU KNOW?

If India win on Sunday, they’ll become only the fourth country to ever win a Women's World Cup (Australia have won on six occasions, England three times while New Zealand once)

N ZONE

4

No. of times India have beaten England in the ICC Women's World Cup, going down 6 times

1,605

No. of runs Mithali Raj has scored against England, more than any other batswoman in ODI cricket

NUMBERS 

2

No. of ICC Women's World Cup finals India have entered. They lost the 2005 title clash to Australia

1

Mithali Raj is the only India captain, male or female, to lead the country in two World Cup finals (2005 & 2017)