World at Indias feet after maiden Womens World Cup triumph
India win their maiden Women's World Cup title with a 52-run victory over South Africa in the final.
New Delhi: Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma played stellar roles with the bat and ball to help India lift their maiden Women's World Cup trophy with a 52-run win over South Africa in the final in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
Shafali's top-of-the-order 87 and Deepti Sharma's sedate 58 along with Richa Ghosh's 34 pulled India to a competitive 298 for seven after they were sent into bat at the DY Patil Stadium.
Despite skipper Laura Wolvaardt becoming only the second batter to score a century hundred in the semi-final and the final of the same edition of the World Cup (men’s or women’s), after Australia's Alyssa Healy in 2022, South Africa couldn't score beyond 246 in 45.3 overs.
Wolvaardt's 98-ball 101 was punctuated with 11 boundaries and a six but her dismissal in the 2nd over with South Africa's score at 220 dashed their hopes of pulling of a maiden World Cup victory, either for men and women.
Shafali's 2/36 off seven overs and Deepti's 5/39 in 9.3 overs, landed crucial blows to derail SA in their run chase.
2nd highest total
India scored the second-highest total in a Women's World Cup final, behind Australia’s 356/5 against England in 2022 after the action began following a two-hour delay due to wet outfield owing to rain.
Shafali and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana (45) put together 104 for the opening wicket but dismissals of Jemimah Rodrigues (24) and captain Harmanpreet Kaur (20) in quick succession jolted India's charge towards a big total.
Shafali brought up her first ODI fifty in over three years in the final and fifth 50-over half century as she hit seven boundaries and two sixes in her 78-ball knock.
She was set for a century but was dismissed in the 28th over with India's score at 166, enabling South Africa to halt the run-flow, till Richa clubbed 34 off 24 balls with three fours and two sixes.
Ayabonga Khaka (3/58 from nine overs) and Nonkululeko Mlaba (1/47) triggered India's slide in the middle-overs to deny them from reaching the 300-mark.