Kaur and Co begin their quest for glory

The Women in Blue will look to start the home WC with a win against Sri Lanka in the tournament opener

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IT was a hot and humid day. Extreme in terms of the month and region with temperature hovering around 36-38 deg celsius. But it felt like 50 degrees.

When Sri Lanka trained in the early afternoon at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium, the conditions seemed hostile.

And on Tuesday, when they take on India in the first match of the ICC Women's World Cup, conditions are expected to be the same. It was like a cauldron with little breeze.

By evening, the temperature settled down a bit but not enough to be called comfortable. The Indian team walked out for some training sessions and went about their rituals ahead of the first game on Tuesday. India would be chasing history and with home advantage would be looking to win their maiden World Cup.

But the road ahead would be choppy and challenging. Yet Harmanpreet Kaur, the India captain exuded confidence.

After all, she has seen it all with this Indian team that has seen enough heartbreaks in the last eight years. From the ninerun loss in the 2017 final against England to the 2020 T20 World Cup final to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and the 2023 T20 World Cup in South Africa, the Women in Blue have come close but the real silverware eluded the team.