Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 7 : India's ICC Women's World Cup winning skipper Harmanpreet Kaur recalled received a call from batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar ahead of the title clash against South Africa, during which he offered his experiences of big World Cup matches and how the team needed to slow things down and be patient to get their moment of glory.
Harmanpreet-led Team India finally enjoyed its first moment of glory across both T20I and ODI formats, capturing their first-ever 50-over crown after beating South Africa by 52 runs in the final in front of a jam-packed DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
The skipper revealed that before the championship match, Team India received a call from Sachin, who just like the women's team, had to wait really long for his World Cup dream, having captured the title in 2011 at home in his sixth World Cup after starting his journey back in 1992 as a teenager.
"The night before the match, Sachin (Tendulkar) sir called. He shared his experience and asked us to keep our balance. When the game is going fast, just slow it down a little," Harmanpreet said on The ICC Review.
"Try and control it because when you go too fast, chances are you can stumble. That's what we need to avoid. I was just thinking of all the advice I was getting from the seniors. To keep control, stay patient, the moment will come and you will be able to grasp it," she added.
The moment after Harmanpreet took the title-sealing catch of Nadine de Klerk, also giving all-rounder Deepti Sharma her historic five-wicket haul in the final, there was a release of years of emotions of heartbreak, pain, of the new-found glory and happiness, as the team ran around the field, hugging each other and their families. Beaming smiles and tears of joy blended together. For many players, it was a feeling that did not sink in at that moment.
"I still cannot believe it," Harmanpreet continued, describing her side's triumph.
"Whenever we see each other, we are just saying, 'world champion'. It is a very different feeling. We were waiting for the time when we would feel this way."
"My mother and father were there. For me, it was a very special moment to lift the World Cup trophy with them. Since my childhood, they have heard me say that I want to wear India's jersey, play for the country, lead the team and win the World Cup," he concluded.
Harmanpreet got her moment as a revolutionary in women's cricket after spending years being questioned for her often inconsistent batting form and questionable captaincy decisions, as she became the first Indian women's cricket skipper to lift a World Cup in any format and joined legends like Kapil Dev and MS Dhoni.
The skipper says that the feeling cannot be processed right now, and it would take the team months to realise what they truly just pulled off for their country.
"To be honest, I am not able to think about this right now. Maybe, I will realise after a few months what we have achieved. What we have given our country. I cannot process this right now," said the 36-year-old on the unique feat of being the first Indian women's skipper to lift the title.
"I spoke about the same with Amol (Muzumdar) sir, it feels like we have won some bilateral series and we are going back home. The impact of it is something we will realise in a few months. Right now, it just feels like a dream," she concluded.