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FAQs : The Women's World Cup final

What's the big deal about this final?

This World Cup final, between England and India, will probably be the most watched women's cricket game ever. More than 50 million people around the globe have already tuned in to watch this tournament, which is an 80% increase from 2013, and in India, the world's largest consumer of cricket, there has been a 47% hike in audience participation.

This World Cup has already had two sellout crowds, and the final is set to join that list, with more than 26,500 people expected at the ground. Since the hosts, England, and the most popular side, India, have made the finals, interest in women's cricket has hit a peak.

So what is the Women's World Cup?

It is a 50-over tournament that is considered the centrepiece of the women's cricket calendar. An interesting piece of trivia is that it has actually been around since before the men's World Cup. The first edition was in 1973, this is the 11th, it began on June 24 with eight teams, and now has come down to two.

When and where is this final being played?

Sunday, 23 July, at 10:30 local time (9:30 GMT, 15:00 Indian Standard Time) at Lord's cricket ground, known as the home of cricket, in London.

Who are the favourites to win?

England have been one of the strongest sides throughout women's cricket history and are currently second, behind Australia, in the International Cricket Council's team rankings. They have won the World Cup three times, and since they are also playing in home conditions, are considered favourites. There are vulnerabilities though, which were apparent in the semi-final when South Africa instigated a middle-order collapse that forced the match into the final-over.

India began the tournament ranked fourth but have beaten all the sides ranked above them on the way to the final, including Australia, the six-time champions. India have never won the Women's World Cup, and this is only their second final.

Why are Indians particularly excited about this final?

For the first time, all of India's games at a Women's World Cup have been televised or streamed live on the Internet. The team also had creditable victories over England and New Zealand in the group stages, but it was in the semi-finals that they grabbed headlines. Harmanpreet Kaur played what is already being described by some as the best innings in the history of women's cricket, smashing 171 not out off 115 balls. This is also the last World Cup for two of India's greatest cricketers, Jhulan Goswami, who has the record for most ODI wickets, and Mithali Raj, who in this tournament became the highest ODI run-getter.

Who are the players to watch out for?

India's Harmanpreet Kaur, one of the most destructive hitters in the game, a reputation solidified by her heroics in the semi-final.

England's Natalie Sciver, whose "Nat-meg" - a flick shot played between the legs to yorker-length deliveries - has had world cricket sit up and take notice. With 318 runs and 7 wickets so far, she is among the prime contenders for the Player of the Tournament award.

So if this final is so big, the women's game must have come a long way in the past decade, right?

Absolutely. This is the first Women's World Cup in which every team has featured centrally contracted professionals. Both England and Australia now have franchise-based Twenty20 leagues, which give the players more opportunities to earn a living. The number of runs per game is going up, with batsmen capable of hitting big sixes, which is always a draw. Fielding standards have also improved immensely, with direct hits and spectacular catches a common feature. Also, while Australia, England and New Zealand have traditionally dominated the women's game, South Africa and India proved themselves capable of matching those teams in this tournament, which could signal the dawn of a more competitive era.