7:45pm So, the Capitals have resisted the temptation to bat first, and tonight, in fact, will be the first time they will be chasing in a WPL final. Mumbai, meanwhile, bat first for the third time in four games at the Brabourne Stadium this season, having done so successfully against the Giants twice.
Mumbai Indians XI: Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia (wk) Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Amelia Kerr, Amanjot Kaur, S Sajana, G Kamalini, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Saika Ishaque
Delhi Capitals XI: Meg Lanning (capt), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Jess Jonassen, Sarah Bryce (wk), Niki Prasad, Shikha Pandey, Minnu Mani, Shree Charani
7:40pm It’s time for the toss and for the coin to go up one final time. Harmanpreet and Lanning are out in the middle and exchange team sheets. Lanning has the coin and she gives it a spin. Harmanpreet calls tails but heads it is. Delhi Capitals will bowl first. She expects the conditions to stay the same and reckons they have been doing this well enough throughout the season. They have zeroed in on the final in the last few days after a bit of a break, she adds. It is an opportunity to win the tournament but says that they need to play well. Charani comes in for Sadhu.
Harmanpreet says she would have bowled first as well but is not very fussed about setting a total. Staying in the moment and staying balanced has worked for them and they intend to do so tonight as well, despite the occasion. Adds that the last week has gone well for them and that they want to continue that momentum. Mentions the great memories at this venue from season one, and concludes by saying they have an unchanged eleven.
Sujatha : “If the eliminator taught anything , it should be the importance of staying calm, not getting anxious / overwhelmed by the occasion. How many misfields and drops from GG ? Those definitely lead to the shoulders getting dropped even before they were through with bowling. So , got to be on your toes , enjoy the occasion “
Here’s Vishal with his thoughts on the toss: It’s the final, the pressure of chasing will add to the nerves, and teams batting first have won the last four games. So don’t be surprised if the captain winning the toss chooses to bat today. Harmanpreet had said at the last game too that she wanted to bat first, but she lost that toss. What Lanning chooses to do – if she wins- will be interesting because there might be some early swing too, and DC haven’t played here at all this season.
7:30pm Plenty of music and dancing at the closing ceremony at the Brabourne Stadium. The toss, meanwhile, has been pushed a little back and is scheduled to happen now at 7:40pm local time.
Here’s a snippet from Vishal, who has beaten the traffic and the crowd to find himself a seat nice and early in the press box: It’s another sweaty evening in Mumbai but that’s not stopping the locals from getting to the CCI tonight. It’s Saturday evening, it’s the second final for their team, and hey, the tickets are much cheaper than in the IPL. The crowd’s excitement was palpable even on the local train I took from Andheri to get to Churchgate, which is walking distance from the CCI. Outside the ground, there are young girls and boys chomping down on vada paos (who knows what will you get in the stands), families gulping freshly squeezed sugarcane juice to stay hydrated in this humidity, plenty of girls and women getting in queues with a lot of excitement. You can’t find a place to step on the footpaths outside CCI. And right now, those who’ve got in are being treated to the closing ceremony (not on broadcast) which is why the toss and first ball have been pushed back tonight. Let’s hope all this culminates in a cracking finale.
Let’s see what the conditions have in store. It is a little windy and there were a few clouds overhead a while back, and it feels cooler, says Natalie Germanos. Almost equidistant square boundaries – 55m to one side, 56m to the other, with a 69m hit straight down the ground. It is a fresh surface. It is dry but a well-rolled hard pitch, and Mithali Raj expects there to be a lot of runs for the batters. Dew might not be as prevalent as it was in the last game at this venue, with there being some early help for the seamers. Mithali Raj says she would not have minded batting first, given the conditions and the occasion.
Dhruv: “Everyone talks about MI’s hectic schedule but playing last match was advantage for them. They knew exactly what’s needed to overtake Delhi for direct entry to finals. Everything comes with its pros and cons. I support Delhi but feel momentum is with Mumbai.”
7:05pm Annabel Sutherland can do it all on a cricket field, whether it be batting in the middle order, taking outstanding catches in the field, or bowling during different phases. She caught up with Sruthi lately, and shed light on how she makes all of that happen. Go on, give it a read!
6:55pm The Capitals have developed a reputation of starting strong and continuing that momentum through the league stages. This season, though, a tight opening-game win was followed by a comprehensive loss. Jemimah Rodrigues talks about what changed, and how that sparked a turnaround.
Mustafa Moudi : “Fun Fact: This is 4th Game for MI on the last 6 Days (10-15 March) while the first game for DC in the last 8 days since facing GG, in their last league game. Too hectic for MI and too Relaxing for DC !!” — That could be a factor, although at this point, it is unclear who it will benefit…
Anthony: “It’s gonna be Third Time Lucky for Delhi Capitals”
6:45pm The Delhi Capitals have been in the final twice but are yet to lift the WPL title. Will that change tonight? Will it be third time lucky for Meg Lanning and her side? All that and much more in Sruthi’s preview.
6:30pm Hello and welcome, everyone. It’s time. Time for the main event of the WPL. So, are you ready? I said, are you reaaadddddddyyyyyyy?
In lane one, the Delhi Capitals. A car epitomising consistency. Clunkier than usual initially but cracking and crackling through the competition since. It has a slight weakness, though. The home stretch. Leads have been lost, opportunities squandered, and plenty of enviable looks cast as competitors have whizzed and whirled past.
In the other lane, the Mumbai Indians. A glitzy and glamorous car, prancing, prowling and purring like only it can. Horsepower to burn, traction to navigate tricky terrains, and experience of cruising through as champions. Better knowledge of this track than anyone else too, where the outward pressure, the opponent, the occasion – nothing seems to matter.
But all of that may yet prove immaterial and inconsequential tonight. Because this is a point of no return. No safety gloves or cars anymore. No trial laps and no further pitstops. One wrong turn, one failed move and these contenders could spiral. One mesmerising manoeuvre, one tantalizing twirl, and they could have acres between themselves and the tyres they attempt to thwart.
Each corner, each hair-pin bend, each chicane has been assessed and analysed. In anticipation and perhaps expectation of another frantic and frenetic dash to the line. And in four hours’ time, one of them, chuffed, cheerful and jubilantly joyous, will view the chequered flag as validation. While the other, disgruntled, disheartened, disconsolate and destroyed, will have no choice but to accept it as confirmation of falling short.
It’ll be lights-out soon, so rev yourself up and let’s get this show on the road!