New Delhi: It is uncommon to witness Meg Lanning appearing deflated in a dugout during a final. As a consistent champion with seven ICC titles to her name—five of which she secured as the captain of Australia—Lanning is not accustomed to finishing in second place. Nevertheless, her team has consistently found itself in this position in the Women’s Premier League.

The previous year's loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the final left her in tears. This time, while still heartbroken, she seemed to express a degree of acceptance. However, enduring three consecutive final defeats, despite being the top team after the group stages each time, is undoubtedly painful.

“We have not managed to deliver our best performances in the finals, which is disappointing, but that is cricket,” Lanning remarked following the loss to Mumbai Indians on their home ground on Saturday night. “There is no blame to assign; we came prepared to perform at our best. Unfortunately, it just hasn’t worked out for us. Each instance has been unique.”

Although the WPL is still in its infancy, having completed only three editions, reputations can be established quickly, as can psychological hurdles. This is evident when considering their IPL counterparts, such as Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings. Factors like big-match pressure, luck, or a growing reputation for underperforming can heavily impact a team.

However, head coach Jonathan Batty dismissed the notion that his team had succumbed to pressure.

“I do not believe it is a mental block at all,” he stated after the match. “The players were fully engaged… The opposition outperformed us and rightfully earned the victory.”

Delhi will require time to come to terms with yet another narrow defeat, particularly since this loss was their closest in a final, falling short by just eight runs, in contrast to their previous losses by seven and eight wickets. Batty highlighted the slim margins involved, stating, “To lose by eight runs, which is equivalent to two boundaries… we lost it by two balls in the end. That game could have gone either way from that point.”

One contributing factor may be Delhi’s limited experience at the venue. Their last league match took place in Lucknow a week prior, and as the top team in the standings, they did not compete at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium until the final. This week-long hiatus may have disrupted their momentum.

Nonetheless, vice-captain Jemimah Rodrigues had downplayed such worries before the match. “Except for a few, most players have experience playing on this Brabourne pitch. We also competed as a team here in the first edition, so we are quite familiar with the conditions.”

However, on the night of the final, that familiarity proved insufficient. Unlike the previous two finals where Delhi batted first and faced difficulties, they opted to chase this time. This decision was risky, as it deviated from the prevailing trend; all three preceding matches at Brabourne had been won by teams batting first.

MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur remarked that her team made the target of 150 set for DC feel like 180. Batty, however, observed that limiting Mumbai to 149/7 was a commendable effort, considering the average first innings score at the venue is 180. Yet, a shift in strategy resulted in a familiar batting collapse.

In an attempt to address their finishing issues, Delhi bolstered their lower-middle order with Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, and Scotland wicketkeeper-batter Sarah Bryce. However, when their top order, consisting of Lanning, Shefali Verma, and Jess Jonassen, fell early, the middle order was unable to rescue the situation. A series of impulsive shots under pressure in the final overs further hindered DC's chances.

Sutherland and Rodrigues had disappointing seasons with the bat and were unable to rise to the occasion on the crucial night. Kapp’s resilient 40 off 26 balls kept DC in contention, but the Mumbai bowlers remained steadfast.

Read Also: India vs Pakistan Flashback: Sachin’s Masterful Upper-Cut Against Shoaib Akhtar

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