ICC Women's World Cup 2017: Former cricketers back India to grow stronger further

India beat New Zealand on Friday by 186 runs, with skipper Mithali Raj (top middle) being on the watch-list again Getty Images

With India facing an uphill task against Australia in the semi-final of ICC Women's World Cup 2017, former women cricketers pray that the side make it to the final. India beat New Zealand on Friday by 186 runs, with skipper Mithali Raj being in the thick of things again. She would again be in the spotlight during the semi-final, especially after becoming the highest female run-scorer in ODIs. WWC17: Match Officials for semi-final stage announced

Before 2013, there were only four top teams in England, Australia, New Zealand and India. Now, South Africa and West Indies have also come up and the standard of the game has gone up. The girls are in great form and have been playing some excellent cricket. This is the perfect opportunity to prove that they can go all the way when it matters, said former India cricketer Shubhangi Kulkarni, as reported by The New Indian Express. Mithali retains No. 2 spot in ICC Women's ODI Rankings; Lanning aces the chart

Also ,Sudha Shah had some words of wisdom for the side. Twelve years ago, in the final against Australia, the girls were not mentally ready for something this big [World Cup]. Winning the semifinals was our main aim then. Prior to that, the girls played such a big game and were in a state of shock when they made it to the final. I think they got carried away with all the pressure. But that s not the case anymore. They have been winning a lot of matches recently. For Mithali and Jhulan especially, winning the cup can be a perfect send-off because no one knows if they will be playing four years later. We have the skill and talent to go all the way and it s time we prove to the world that we are the best, she said.