Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar praised India 's women cricketers following their ‘historic’ triumph in the World Cup final on Sunday while team captain Harmanpreet Kaur hoped it would be a watershed moment for the women's game in the country.

After suffering heartbreak in the final of the 2005 and 2017 editions of the 50-overs showpiece, India beat South Africa by 52 runs to secure their first title in front of 40,000 delirious home fans at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium.

Three defeats in a row earlier in the tournament had nearly derailed India's campaign before they bounced back to storm into the semi-finals, where they pulled off a record chase to eliminate seven-times champions Australia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tributes to the team following their triumph

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