After being on par in the 299-run chase for a major part of the innings, South Africa crumbled following captain Laura Wolvaardt’s dismissal for 101 in the 42nd over. From 220-6, they collapsed to 246 all out despite Nadine de Klerk’s late blows, handing India their first-ever ICC trophy in women’s cricket.
Deepti Sharma led the way with the ball for India, snaring five wickets for 39 runs following up her 58-ball 58 with the bat in the first innings. In the process, she became the first player to score a fifty and take a five-for in the same Women’s World Cup match. However, it wasn’t enough to earn her the Player of the Match award, as her all-round brilliance was overshadowed by Shafali Verma’s exceptional performance.
Verma came into the squad only after the league stage due to an unfortunate injury to Pratika Rawal. She gave India a rolicking start with the bat in the final, making a career-best score of 87 off 78 balls and stitching a 104-run opening partnership with Smriti Mandhana, who scored 45 off 58. Verma was also the surprise act with the ball, bowling seven overs and picking up two big wickets in her first two deliveries.
In the first innings, India had looked set to reach close to 350 at one point. However, tight bowling from Nonkululeko Mlaba (1-47) and Ayabonga Khaka (3-58) restricted them to 298-6. India’s decision to hold back Richa Ghosh until the death raised eyebrows, as she only arrived at the crease with less than seven overs remaining.
For South Africa, Wolvaardt led the way right from the start, taking calculated risks in the powerplay and then digging in to anchor the innings through the middle overs. However, she didn’t find enough support other than Annerie Dercksen’s 37-ball 35 from No. 7.
The winning moment for India came poetically with captain Harmanpreet Kaur taking Nadine de Klerk’s catch off Deepti Sharma’s bowling. Deepti was also named Player of the Tournament, sending the crowd and millions watching into jubilation.
Reactions and congratulatory messages have been pouring in since the result, celebrating India’s historic achievement in women’s cricket.
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