Raj urges India to 'keep it simple' in Women's World Cup final

London : India captain Mithali Raj has urged her side to embrace the challenge of playing hosts England in the World Cup final at a sold-out Lord's on Sunday.

Raj's side won through to the final with a stunning 36-run win over reigning champions Australia, with Harmanpreet Kaur making a stunning 171 not out.

India have never won the Women's World Cup, having lost to the Aussies in a final 12 years ago -- a match in which senior batsman Raj played.

"We need to keep it as simple as we have been throughout the tournament and see where it takes us in the final," said Raj, whose side beat England by 35 runs in the tournament opener at Derby on June 24.

"Looking at the wicket, it looks full of runs and any venue where you’ve scored runs previously always gives you confidence," Raj added as India looked to follow Kapil Dev's celebrated 1983 men's team by winning a World Cup final at Lord's.

Since the tournament's inception in 1973 -- two years before the men's World Cup started - it has been dominated by England and Australia, with New Zealand, in 2000, the only other country to have won the event.

For Raj and India pace bowler Jhulan Goswami, the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker in women's one-day international history respectively, this could be the last chance the two 34-year-olds have to win the World Cup.

But the significance of the day goes far beyond what it means to their cricket careers. 

India's 1983 win turned the country on to limited overs cricket and led the world's second-most populous nation to become the sport's financial powerhouse.

An India win on Sunday could have equally far-reaching consequences, as Raj acknowledged.