Catches win matches”, a timeless phrase in cricket that every coach drills into budding players. India’s 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev’s iconic running catch to dismiss West Indies legend Viv Richards off Madan Lal at Lord’s didn’t just win India its maiden title; it changed the course of Indian cricket forever.
Four decades later, Indian all-rounder Amanjot Kaur recreated a similar moment of magic at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday, helping India clinch their first-ever Women’s World Cup with a 52-run victory over South Africa.
Though Amanjot’s bowling wasn’t at its best, her fielding turned the tide. She first struck with a brilliant direct hit from short extra cover to run out opener Tazmin Brits (23) in the 10th over. But it was her stunning, nerve-wracking catch of Proteas skipper Laura Wolvaardt that sealed India’s triumph.
Wolvaardt, who was on a fighting 101 off 98 balls, looked set to launch another counter-attack during the chase of 299. Off-spinner Deepti Sharma (5-39) tossed one up, and Wolvaardt went for the big slog sweep toward deep mid-wicket. Amanjot sprinted in, fumbled once, juggled it twice, and finally clutched it safely on her third attempt before crashing to the turf in relief — a moment instantly reminiscent of Kapil’s heroics at Lord’s.
“My god, it was the toughest catch of my life,” Amanjot admitted. “I’ve never fumbled before; I either take them or drop them. But this time, god gave me three chances! It was a crucial catch. We knew she [Wolvaardt] would attack after her century.”
Amanjot, who scored 12 off 14 balls while batting at No. 6 and conceded 34 runs from four overs, reserved special praise for teammate Deepti Sharma, who played the all-rounder’s role to perfection with a run-a-ball 58 and a five-wicket haul.
“You can pull out any match when Deepti’s playing, there’s always some other record-breaking. She’s the glue that holds our team together, whether it’s batting, bowling, or fielding,” Amanjot said.
299
Target set for SA by India