India, Nov. 3 -- For years, Indian women's cricket had lived in the shadow of almosts - the finals that slipped away, the potential that was never realised, torchbearers that returned with empty-handed farewells.

Not this time. In the backdrop of a home World Cup, in front of a country that gradually but finally believed, India finished the story on their own terms. They are world champions for the first time.

Their run in the 2017 World Cup had flicked a switch despite the loss in the final. You can imagine the effect a victory would have. Wins like this don't just lift stories, they shift tides. They will show up from playgrounds to corporate think-tanks, from families that once said "no" to coaches that say, "why not?"

By no means w...