India, Nov. 1 -- For years, the careers of Smriti Mandhana and Laura Wolvaardt have mirrored each other's as they have grown in stature. Elegant stroke-makers and openers who made sheer timing their forte, both carry the weight of their teams' expectations.

On Sunday, as India and South Africa walk out for the World Cup final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, the symmetry will run deeper than ever. Both recently crossed 5,000 ODI runs, both have been the heartbeat of their side's campaigns and both have risen from slow starts to peak at the right time.

So similar is their trajectory that they also find themselves part of the leadership group around the same time. Wolvaardt leads South Africa while Mandhana is India's vice-captain....