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From Unknown To Icon: How A Magical Spell Of Deepa Marathe Stunned The  World In 2005

Poulomi Chakraborty

Deepa Marathe's Magical 4/1 (Source: @imfemalecricket/x.com)Deepa Marathe's Magical 4/1 (Source: @imfemalecricket/x.com)

Cricketing talent is everywhere, but spotting it is an art. While men’s cricket often dominates the headlines, many female stars quietly make history in the shadows. If anyone asked for your best World Cup performance by a bowler, people will name Mohammad Shami because of his 2023 World Cup heroics.

But why isn’t Deepa Marathe’s brilliance more widely remembered? She once tore through South Africa’s lineup, claiming a stunning four-wicket haul while conceding just a single run.

Hard to believe, right? Let’s explore the unbelievable spell on the big stage of the 2005 Women’s World Cup.

A Game-Changer Emerges As Indian Women’s Cricket Seeks Its Moment

Women’s cricket in India may have bloomed later, but like all great things, the wait was worth it. From humble beginnings, it steadily grew into a force to be reckoned with. Despite missing the first edition of the Women’s World Cup, they started their journey from the 1978 edition, and the rest is history.

Fighting with all kinds of odds, including less favor, broken infrastructure, less fanfare, and limited coverage, the Indian Women’s team overcame every obstacle and polished their skills with passing time. Putting previous failures aside, in the 1997 and 2000 Women’s World Cups, India Women qualified for the knockouts.

But the best was yet to come as the 2005 edition witnessed India Women’s meteoric rise in the tournament. After having an exceptional season, they ended up as the runners-up. Amidst the collective brilliance of the Indian bowlers, Deepa Marathe stole the spotlight, her extraordinary spell against South Africa Women etching her name into cricketing folklore.

4/1! Marathe Defies Belief With A Spell For The Ages

In the 11th match of the tournament, India Women faced South Africa Women, and the match turned into an iconic clash. While bowling first, the Indian bowler like Neetu David and Amita Sharma, gave a dominating start as South Africa Women were 57/3 in 21 overs. But Deepa Marathe’s entry turned the tide. She drew first blood in the 24th over, dismissing Alison Hodkinson, and from there, the spell unfolded into history.

Coming back to the action in she dismissed Shandre Fritz in the 26th over. After that, Marathe secured two quick scalps of Charlize van der Westuizen and Shafeeqa Pillay consecutively and registered an outstanding four-wicket haul.

The spell became iconic as she bowled six overs, conceded just one run and secured four crucial wickets with an economy of 0.16. On the grand World Cup stage, her precision and control stunned the cricketing world, and in doing so, she gave India Women a surge of recognition that would echo far beyond that single match.

At the point when Women’s cricket was searching for deserved recognition, Deepa Marathe’s outstanding spell turned heads as the cricket world discovered another spinner who can change the game in a thrilling contest.

More than just personal glory, that performance symbolized something bigger; it was proof that even an underdog could rise on the World Cup stage and announce the arrival of a formidable force.