Host nation India emerged victorious in the ICC Women’s World Cup final, defeating South Africa by 52 runs.
Batting first, India posted a formidable total of 299 runs, thanks to crucial knocks from Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma, who scored 87 and 58 runs respectively. Jemimah Rodrigues, the standout performer from the semi-final, added 24 runs before being dismissed.
Ayabonga Khaka was the standout bowler for South Africa, claiming three wickets, including that of the in-form Verma, who seemed poised for a century before falling to Khaka’s slower delivery.
Earlier in the day, South Africa won the toss and elected to field in the final match of the ICC Women’s World Cup.
At Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium, the toss was delayed by two hours due to rain. However, the match would still be played with the full number of overs.
Speaking at the toss, South African captain Laura Wolvaardt said the ground is favorable for chasing and hoped her side would benefit from the conditions in the early overs following the rain.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur said she also preferred to bowl first due to the weather, acknowledging that batting in the first five to six overs could be challenging.
The toss was originally scheduled for 2:00pm, with the match to start at 2:30pm, but waterlogging in the outfield caused difficulties for the ground staff in preparing the field for play.
It is noteworthy that this was the first time South Africa and India had faced each other in a Women’s World Cup final — and the first time in the tournament’s history that neither Australia nor England were part of the final.
Previously, India reached the final twice before but were defeated on both occasions, while South Africa have made it to the Women’s World Cup final for the first time.
Source: Dunya News