ICC Women's Cricket World Cup Final | England win Women's World Cup final by 9 runs, crush India's dream

India is taking on hosts England in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 final in Lord’s on Sunday. The hosts won the toss and opted to bat first. England posted 228 for seven against India in the final. Indian bowlers did well to restrict the famed English batting line up to a modest low score courtesy Jhulan Goswami’s 3/23. India need to score 229 to win their maiden ICC Women’s World Cup title. 

Here are the live Updates:

# OUT! India lost. England win their fourth World cup

#Disaapointment for India, Pandey gets run out 

# My Goodness. Umpire went upstairs to check a stumping in a very close call Deepti was given not out. 

# Shikha Pandey, the right handed bat, comes to the crease

# OUT! Jhulan bowled.

# OUT! Veda out. India's hopes are crashing now.

# Bowled! Sushma Verma out. What are you doing ladies? Don't do this injustice. Please.

# Alex Hartley to Veda Krishnamurthy, FOUR. Much needed runs.

# OUT! Punam Raut outs. She wanted to take the review but took more than 15 seconds therefore not allowed. 

# FOUR more, back to back boundaries. India need 39 runs more.

# Four, Krishnamurthi is making English women recite "Vedas".

# India is 63 runs away from making history. But the task is not easy as England bowlers are putting up a good fight. This is going to be a thriller. I have already started feeling the adrenaline rush.

#Punam Raut hits a boundary a gentle push towards the third man

#Veda Krishnamurthy hits a boundary, played over the bowler's head

# OUT! Big blow to India, Harmanpreet departs after reaching fifty

# Alex Hartley to Punam Raut, FOUR, through covers. What a shot. Steeped out and played it over the covers fielder.

Alex Hartley <4.0-0-22-0> is back into the attack

# Shrubsole to Punam Raut, 1 run, fifty for Punam Raut. What a wonderful, smart innings from the young woman. Sheroic!

# Sciver to continue, FOUR! Harmanpreet is now accelerating.

# Score after 28 overs, India are 108-2 

# Sciver to Harmanpreet Kaur, FOUR! Kaur is playing with maturity and responsibility. 

# Score after 25 overs, India are 92-2.

The Partnership between Harmanpreet Kaur and Raut is now growing bigger. Both have added 50 runs in 78 balls.  

# After 20 overs, India are 69-2

#  SIX! Alex Hartley would remember this for long long time. And with this Harmanpreet Kaur has announced her changed mood.

# India Women need 175 runs in 33 overs.

# Just 4 off the 17th over, Only 11 runs off the last 5 overs. India need to accelerate now. 

# Fifty comes up for India, After 15 overs score card reads: 50-2

# Harmanpreet Kaur, right handed bat, comes to the crease

# Marsh to Punam Raut, THAT'S OUT!! Run Out!! Mithali Raj is the woman here. Big blow to India. She was looking in in great touch. 

# Sciver to Mithali, FOUR, the skipper is looking in fine touch. 

# Sciver to Punam Raut, FOUR, one bounce boundary and trust me this girl is too good a player.

# Jhulan ko pace pasand hai aur Mitali ko chase pasand (Jhulan likes pace and Mitali likes to chase), says Akash Chopra.

# OK Bollywood star Akshay Kumar has also reached to watch the Indian eves creating history.

# SIX! Shrubsole would definitely mind that. Straight down the ground a very well executed shot. 

# Score after 7 overs, India: 24-1

# Interesting fact: In 1999, Mithali Raj become the youngest woman cricketer to score hundred.

# Brunt to Mithali, FOUR! The class apart. She flicked it past square leg.

# Score after 5 overs, India: 18-1

Skipper Mithali comes into the crease.

# Bowled! First blow to India, Mandhana out for duck

# Punam Raut and Mandhana are at the crease. Punam Raut is on strike. Brunt will open the attack

Innings break

# England score 228 runs in their 50 overs innings. The target is not big but given the bowling attack of England 

# Shikha Pandey to Gunn, four runs with a slog shot, England passes 200 runs mark

# Brunt gets run out courtesy direct hit by Deepti Sharma 

# Jenny Gunn, right handed bat, comes to the crease

# Goswami to Sciver, THAT'S OUT!! Lbw!! But they have taken the review. Wasted. 

# Interesting fact: Shikha Pandey is the only player from services to play for Indian cricket team. She is in Air Force.

Shikha Pandey <4.0-0-28-0> is back into the attack

# Fifty comes up for Sciver. She has been in supreme touch through out the tournament. Only hope for England now. 

# Score after 35 overs: ENGW 155-5

# Run out chance, missed. Sushma Verma had a chance at both ends and she misses her shy at the striker's end. Ooopps!

# Harmanpreet Kaur <3.0-0-21-0> is back into the attack

# Poonam Yadav bowled a very tight over here and she conceded just 5 runs.

# Brunt defends the full ball. She survives.

 Katherine Brunt, right handed bat, comes to the crease

#OUT again! Two in two for star Jhulan. on hattrick

Fran Wilson, right handed bat, comes to the crease

# Goswami to Taylor, out Caught by Sushma Verma!!

# After 31 overs, score card reads: 140-3 

# This partnership is growing big. And they have played Indian spinners quite well.

# Goswami to Sciver, In the airrrrr and not taken. The ball took the leading edge in went up in the air lands just away from Jhulan. 

# With Jhulan Goswami pace is back for India. 

# Score after 30 overs ENGW 133-3

# Deepti Sharma <5.0-0-14-0> is back into the attack

# Score after 28 overs ENGW 118-3

# Seven off her fourth over, she has been a li'l expensive today. 

 Shikha Pandey <3.0-0-21-0> is back into the attack

# Score after 25 overs ENGW 104-3

# Harmanpreet Kaur to Sciver, FOUR! It is raining here and raining heavily. Ground staff is preparing to cover up the ground but Umpires are yet to decide weather the game should be stopped. 

# Score after 23 overs ENGW 91-3

Interesting fact: Poonam Yadav today has become a household name but do you she wanted to quit playing cricket and had written a letter to her father. However, her father received the letter a year after and by the time she regained her confidence and didn't quit. 

Punam Yadav to continue.

Score after 20 overs ENGW 80-3

# Direct hit. Umpires have gone upstairs. But Sciver is well in 

# Rajeshwari Gayakwad <4.0-1-23-1> is back into the attack

Score after 19 overs ENGW 74-3

# Poonam Yadav to Sciver, FOUR! She is in form and likes to play big hits.

# Score after 17 overs ENGW 64-3

Inform Natalie Sciver, right handed bat, comes to the crease

# OUT. Big big wicket. Poonam Yadav spinning it for India. Skipper Heather Knight out.

Drinks break!

# Score after 16 overs ENGW 63-2

# OUT! Beaumont departs, Poonam Yadav strikes in her first over. It was full toss and she played it too high where Jhulan didn't make any mistake. So both openers are back in hut now.

# After 13 overs, scorecard reads: Score after 13 overs ENGW 52-1

# Just two runs off Deepti's second over. She is troubling English women here.

#  Score after 12 overs ENGW 50-1

Sarah Taylor, right handed bat, comes to the crease

# OUT! Gayakwad strikes to send Winfield back to hut. First break through for India. 

Score after 11 overs ENGW 46-0 

#Loud appeal, Umpire signals leg bye. Will they go upstairs? No they won't. 

# Okay. here comes Deepti Sharma, India's most successful bowler in this World Cup. 

# After Score after 10 overs, ENGW 43-0

# First wicket goes. Ok, wait they have taken the review. Looks out. No. its missing leg. Winfield survives.

# With three boundaries, 12 runs off Gayakwad's first over. Score card after 8 overs  read; ENGW 42-0

Rajeshwari Gayakwad, left-arm orthodox, comes into the attack and we have a msg for her from Prime Minister.

Rajeshwari Gayakwad is known for her economic bowling performances. Good luck!

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 23, 2017

# Wow, Goswami bowls a maiden over here. 

# Score after 6 overs, ENG 30-0

# Four more, Back to back Boundaries from Beaumont. She is accelerating now. Shikha under pressure.

# Shikha Pandey to Beaumont, Four! Too full and Baeu plays it beautifully through covers.

# Just Four runs off the over and score card read: 21/0

# Goswami is bowling tight lines here. But she has to provide a breakthrough as early as now.

 Score after 4 overs, England: 17-0

# Here comes wishes from the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And he has tweeted personal wishes to every team India player.

Jhulan Goswami is India's pride, whose wonderful bowling helps the team in key situations. All the best Jhulan.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 23, 2017

As our women's cricket team plays the World Cup finals today, I join the 125 crore Indians in wishing them the very best! @BCCIWomen

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 23, 2017

# J Goswami to T Beaumont, FOUR!  15/0 after 3 overs.

Jhulan to continue.

# After two overs, England: 11/2

# Miss field!! Four more. Winfield flicked well and Smriti seemed to have covered it before she let it slip.

# Shikha Pandey to Beaumont, FOUR, First boundary of the match.

Shikha Pandey, right-arm medium, comes into the attack

# Good first over for India. Just one run off the over. After 1 over England: 1/0 

# The hitman wishes team India ahead of World cup.

The whole nation is behind and rooting for you #TeamIndia . It's a special day so enjoy every moment 😬@BCCIWomen #WWC17Final

— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) July 23, 2017

# Jhulan Goswami opens the bowling for India

# Laury Winfield, Tammy Beaumont come out to bat for England

# The national anthems of both India and England are being sung.

# England win toss, opt to bat first

Many experts have predicted that just as men's cricket received a massive boost from Kapil Dev and team's huge victory in the 1983 World Cup, women's cricket too can expect a revolution if they conquer the world stage in 2017.

England have won the toss at the @HomeOfCricket and will bat first!#ENGvIND #WWC17 pic.twitter.com/h3GzSJDECL

— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 23, 2017

Two old warhorses of the Indian cricket team, Mithali Raj and pacer Jhulan Goswami are the lone survivors from the 2005 title defeat to Australia. Playing their final game on cricket's biggest stage, they will bank on this resurgent team to right a few wrongs in the summit clash and bring home the coveted trophy that has remained elusive in their careers spanning over 15 years.

We're very excited. I wish them all the best and hope they win the trophy in style: Father of cricketer Mithali Raj #ICCWomensWorldCup2017 pic.twitter.com/2mj8YY4pDQ

— ANI (@ANI_news) July 23, 2017

The Indians started off their campaign in emphatic fashion upsetting hosts England in their opening game of the tourney. Mithali Raj led team then secured three straight wins on the trot against Sri Lanka, West Indies and arch rivals Pakistan to virtually seal their place in the semis.

Textbook 👌#MithaliRaj #ENGvIND #WWC17 pic.twitter.com/MGW39vYq8V

— Cricket World Cup (@cricketworldcup) July 23, 2017

The Indians who were steam rolling at that stage were given a reality check by the Proteas, losing by a massive 115 runs. The team regrouped brilliantly after the defeat and pulled off an impressive win against New Zealand to seal their place in the last four. India was up against a formidable Australian side in their semi-final clash.

Indians were in all sorts of trouble with two early wickets but Harmanpreet Kaur played a whirlwind inninngs of unbeaten 175 runs to lift India to the finale. 

India's march to the finals can be summarised as a story of great team work and some breathtaking individual performances. The team has gelled brilliantly under the aegis of their star skipper Mithali Raj who has led from the front with the willow.

The Indian bowling unit has come good in the tournament. Veteran seamer Jholan Goswami has spearheaded the pace attack with distinction picking up early wickets. She too has become the highest wicket-taker in ODIs and has raised her game in the knockout games.

The spin trioka of Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Ekta Bisht and Deepti Sharma have dented oppositions by running through sides in most of the games. So, in a nutshell, Team India has the arsenal to beat England and clinch their maiden World Cup title. 

England Women (Playing XI):

Lauren Winfield, Tammy Beaumont, Sarah Taylor(w), Heather Knight(c), Natalie Sciver, Fran Wilson, Katherine Brunt, Jenny Gunn, Laura Marsh, Anya Shrubsole, Alex Hartley

India Women (Playing XI):

Smriti Mandhana, Punam Raut, Mithali Raj(c), Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Veda Krishnamurthy, Sushma Verma(w), Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav