India Clinches ICC Women’s ODI World Cup with Victory Over South Africa
India Triumphs in ICC Women’s ODI World Cup Final
India has finally secured the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup trophy after a convincing 52-run victory against South Africa at DY Patil Stadium. This win marks a significant achievement for the team, who had previously fallen short in two attempts.
The spotlight was on Shafali Verma from Haryana, who made an unexpected entry into the tournament. She scored an impressive 87 runs off 78 balls, contributing significantly to India's total of 298. Additionally, she took two vital wickets, providing India with crucial breakthroughs. South African captain Laura Wolvaardt fought valiantly, scoring 101 runs off 98 balls, but her efforts were not enough as the Proteas were dismissed for 246.
Shafali's journey has been remarkable; she was dropped from the team during the tour to Australia last November and had to keep this news from her father, who had just suffered a heart attack. In this final, she not only top-scored for India but also achieved the best bowling figures of her ODI career with 2/36.
As the youngest player to represent India across all formats, Shafali set a strong foundation for the Indian innings. Despite a rain delay, she quickly got India off to a solid start. However, the middle-order struggled to capitalize on this momentum, preventing the team from reaching the 300-run mark. India scored their first 50 runs in just 37 balls and reached 100 in 104 balls, but the team could not maintain this pace.
While Smriti Mandhana took her time to settle in with a score of 45, Shafali made an explosive start, hitting a boundary on her first ball. Together, they built a solid partnership, putting 104 runs on the board in 18 overs. Unfortunately, their dismissals led to a decline in the team's scoring rate.
Jemimah Rodrigues, who had previously scored 127 runs, was dismissed for 24 after a spectacular catch by Wolvaardt. Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur, playing in her last World Cup, managed to score 20 runs and formed a 52-run partnership with Deepti Sharma. However, the slow run-rate began to weigh heavily on the team. Harmanpreet's attempt at a late cut resulted in her wicket, further complicating the situation.
Deepti and Amanjot Kaur contributed minimally, with Nadine de Klerk's exceptional bowling ending their innings. Richa Ghosh added some excitement with a score of 34, and alongside Deepti, who scored a run-a-ball 58, they formed a 47-run partnership.
The South African chase began slowly, but they managed to avoid losing any wickets during the powerplay. However, once the Indian spinners took charge, the Proteas faced difficulties. Amanjot Kaur's run-out of Tazmin Brits (23) and Shree Charani's dismissal of Anneke Bosch (0) marked the beginning of South Africa's collapse. Shafali, bowling for the first time in the tournament, made an impact with two wickets in her initial spell, while Deepti excelled with figures of 5/39.