With a whole lot of luck, the organisers of the ICC T20 Women's World Cup got to live out their dream scenario for the big finale.

India — arguably the nation most passionate about cricket — made it through undefeated and top of Group B, and were pitted against Aussies boasting a huge amount of support in their home country.

Without those two nations, it would be hard to imagine the 86,000-plus people that made up yesterday's crowd actually turning up, or more switching on their televisions and radios to buy into the International Women's Day event.

A lot of the talk leading up to the match was how fantastic it would be for women's cricket if India took out their first T20 World Cup, as a way of proving their worth to the BCCI back home.

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The Australians have always touted India as a bit of a sleeping giant and for the last few years, the Indian board has flirted with the idea of a Women's IPL, playing exhibition matches as a trial and expanding from a one-match, two-team decider to a three-team mini-competition last year.

Those that were at the MCG to witness the final firsthand might argue the loss proves the need for something more permanent.

From the very first over, Australia set the tone of the match with Alyssa Healy's four on the first ball, both openers showing real aggression with the bat and fearlessness towards the huge occasion.

Unfortunately, three full tosses to open the bowling and a dropped catch saw India in deep trouble before the team had even thought about the second over.

To be fair, a lot of that isn't their fault — with an average age of 22 and four teenagers in the squad, some of the team appeared to lack the experience to handle the pressure.

The win over Australia in the opening game of the tournament showed India had the ability to do big things. ( AP: Rick Rycroft )

In the tournament's opening game, where Poonam Yadav's wrong-uns and Shafali Verma's batting lit up Sydney Showgrounds on a wicket that favoured Indian spin, they took Australia by surprise and were labelled by pundits as the ones to beat for the tournament.

That form rolled on as they bamboozled team after team in the group stages, but their consistency went missing at the MCG and without it, they struggled to enforce any pressure on the Australian batters.

Losing just four wickets in their 20 overs, Australia built a very strong total of 184.

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That target of 185 was too far out of reach for India — the team was all-out in the end for 99 runs.

Former Indian player, now journalist, Snehal Pradhan said the team's lacklustre performance showed just how much investment and support the team needs to progress.

"India needed to be at their absolute best to beat Australia and that comes down to three or four players in their batting line-up," she said.

"Smriti Mandhana, Harmanpreet Kau, Shafali Verma and Jemimah Rodrigues, those are the real match-winners in the side.

"Whereas if you look at Australia, they've got that type of potential right down to seven.

"Ellyse Perry sits there in a T20 game, so you want to play hard cricket but you can't take big risks like the Australians if you only have three or four batters that are able to change the game."

Delissa Kimmince (R) was an important part of Australia's T20 World Cup campaign — she had already been tested playing for the Brisbane Heat in the WBBL. ( AAP: Steve Christo )

In comparison, the majority of Australia's big players are in their late twenties and have so much experience playing in pressure-cooker scenarios.

As full-time professional athletes, they have the Women's Big Bash to look forward to every summer, where they can ply their trade in the T20 format.

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Therefore, the success they live and breathe is largely a product of the level of development pumped into their careers and to the rest of the domestic players in the women's game; constantly pushing the Australian representatives to be better and never content.

While it's true Australia had reasonable success in the women's game before the WBBL, over the last five years the game has grown to such an elite level that Australia now sets the standard of play across the world.

With a number one ranking in all formats, Australia's performance has been helped by Cricket Australia's investment in the ability and talent of its players around the country.

And it's something Pradhan hopes the BCCI will use as an example to set up better Indian domestic pathways.

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"It's about bridging the gap between domestic and international cricket which is currently huge in India," she said.

"A Women's IPL is the obvious solution because if you have 35 teams — like the current domestic structure — you don't have a very strong standard of cricket because the talent is so diluted and spread out," she said.

"Whereas if you fed those players upwards into a four-team Women's IPL to start with, you're giving them the very best opportunity to play high-pressure games and, in those games, discover new talent."

One of the biggest hold-ups on a WIPL has been the BCCI's argument that they want to ensure their players reach a higher standard of cricket before they invest in an ongoing competition.

However, countries around the world — especially Australia and England — are constantly raising the bar by playing consistent women's cricket at an international and domestic level

So, if India's cricketers continue to have limited exposure to regular elite competition, how will they ever catch up?

When you compare the stats and crowds that were turning up to the first instalment of the Women's Big Bash in the 2015-16 Summer to now, there has been a huge improvement. You just have to start somewhere.

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Imagine what a player like Shafali Verma will be capable of in five years if given the opportunity to play in a high-level domestic T20 competition featuring internationals and other Indian players that test her hard hitting week in, week out.

The players will get more experience in those heart-stopping, last-over / last-ball finishes and how to execute a super over. All of which teaches you to be level-headed under pressure.

No doubt there'll be a number of Australian Women's Big Bash contracts already drawn up, ready to offer deals to some of the Indian players after this World Cup. But without a full competition in place in India, only a few would experience the challenge.

Pradhan believes that India could be a world-beating team in the next five years, but warns they won't get far if the BCCI don't put distinct processes in place and invest in domestic cricket.

"If they don't, India will just continue to survive on the talent they find accidentally, like the Smriti Mandhanas and Harmanpreet Kaurs and you will still get good performances here and there because there are so many people playing cricket in India," she said.

"But they won't be able to really consistently challenge the likes of Australia or England."