India had a brilliant tournament, finishing second on the table, which comprised eight teams

Last year, India’s women’s cricket team made history by winning their first ICC ODI World Cup trophy. However, it was not India’s first final in a major ICC tournament. The women’s team had multiple heartbreaks, but the first one hurt the most when a young Mithali Raj had guided the team to the final in 2005 in an era when India’s women’s cricket team was an underdog.

On this day in 2005, the team, despite having a brilliant tournament and a semi-final victory, lost to Australia, similar to how Sourav Ganguly’s team lost the final merely two years earlier in 2003.

India on the table & semi-final

On the table, India had finished just below Australia, with four victories out of seven matches. The team had lost only one game, whereas two matches were abandoned. The women’s team, led by captain Mithali Raj, finished above England, New Zealand, and the West Indies.

In the semi-final, India had got off to a poor start, getting reduced to 2/38 in 13.5 overs. However, that’s when Mithali Raj and Anjum Chopra took charge of the innings and played a calm and composed partnership. On one end, Mithali scored 91 runs in 104 deliveries, whereas Anjum added 44 runs, helping India post a defendable total of 204 runs.

Which World Cup team does @JhulanG10 pick? The 2005 team or the 2017 team? Watch this clip to find out👇

Watch the full interview here: https://t.co/XBCtrWidUe#Cricket #indiancricket #BCCI #BCCIWomen #WPL #Interviews #Webseries #Womenscricket #Jhulan #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/uEcsKr2cCH

— Anjum Chopra (@chopraanjum) July 7, 2023

In the second innings, the Indian bowlers, who had been performing exceptionally well throughout the tournament, restricted the Kiwis to 164 runs, thereby securing a place in the final match.

A disappointing finish

In the final of the tournament, Australia was limited to 215 runs, which was a commendable display of bowling given the Aussies had scored 256 against South Africa and 230 against the West Indies during the round robin stage. However, as it happened against New Zealand, India’s batting line-up once again collapsed as seven players went back to the pavilion with single-digit scores.

Highest wicket-taker

The only batting highlights were from Anju Jain, who made 29 runs, followed by 22 by Amita Sharma and 18 from the willow of Jhulan Goswami. The trio’s effort kept India alive until the 46th over with only 117 runs on the board. The women in blue lost the game by 98 runs, but the tournament marked India’s rise in the world of cricket.

Happy Birthday Neetu David

She played 10 Tests & 97 ODIs.

Holds the World Record for best bowling figure in a Test innings - 8 for 53 v England at Jamshedpur.

Took 141 ODI wickets at 16.34 - best average among all women who have taken over 100 wickets.
pic.twitter.com/lT95P37PrY

— Cricketopia (@CricketopiaCom) September 1, 2025

Despite the defeat, India had several reasons to smile as Neetu David finished the tournament as the highest wicket-taker with 20 wickets, whereas Amita Sharma and Jhulan Goswami grabbed the second and third places, respectively. Mithali Raj not only established herself as a skilled captain, but also emerged as India's highest run scorer in the tournament.

Last year, when India-W finally lifted its maiden ODI World Cup, the former Indian skipper wrote, “From the heartbreak of 2005 to the fight of 2017, every tear, every sacrifice, and every young girl who picked up a bat believing we belong here, it all led to this moment. To the new champions of world cricket, you didn’t just win a trophy, you won every heart that ever beat for Indian women’s cricket. Jai Hind.”