Final frontier: A new champion and long-lasting legacy await

HIS time around last year, when the cricketing world was in the middle of the men's ODI World Cup in India, all cards were falling in place for another rivalry to lock horns in the Rugby World Cup. While New Zealand All Blacks were crushing every opposition to make it to the final, South African Springboks were sticking to their mantra of winning by one point because that was enough of a margin for them. All cards fell in place and Stade de France, the national stadium of the host country, witnessed one of the best finals ever.

- KALYANI MANGALE

At Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, the women's cricket sides of these two nations will face each other for the ultimate glory. Unlike Rugby, where many would have predicted the final matchup, nobody would have imagined South Africa and New Zealand making it to the final of this T20 World Cup in UAE, even when the venue was shifted from Bangladesh. These teams had to get through the overwhelming tournament favourites in Australia, one of the most consistent sides in England and India, who were primed to break the hegemony of the previously mentioned two teams. That did not happen. While England and India dropped out in the group stage, South Africa thrashed Australia to make it to the final.