NAVI MUMBAI, India :India won their maiden Women’s World Cup title after Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma’s all-round brilliance secured a 52-run victory over South Africa in the final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
Put into bat, the hosts rode half-centuries from Verma (87) and Sharma (58) to post 298-7 even though 350 looked well within their reach at one stage.
Laura Wolvaardt led South Africa’s reply with a captain’s knock of 101 but they were all out for 246 in 45.3 overs.
Sharma claimed 5-39 in a fine all-round display on a memorable night for the hosts.
“Every World Cup we’ve gone into, there have been so many heartbreaks for all of us,” a teary-eyed India opener Smriti Mandhana said.
“We always believed that we had a bigger responsibility – not just to win, but to keep growing women’s cricket.
“Just look at the support we’ve had over the last month and a half. It’s been incredible.”
The women’s 50-overs World Cup was guaranteed new champions after South Africa hammered England and India chased down a record target to eliminate holders Australia in the semi-finals.
With this win, India joined Australia, England and New Zealand as the only countries to have won the showpiece tournament.
Put into bat after a delayed start following intermittent drizzle, India began strongly with their left-right combination of Mandhana (45) and Verma forging an opening stand of 104.
Drafted into the side ahead of the knockout stage as a late replacement for the injured Pratika Rawal, player-of-the-match Verma raced to a 49-ball fifty.
Mandhana, India’s leading scorer in the tournament, fell short of a half-century after being caught behind to Chloe Tryon’s left-arm spin.
Verma, dropped on 58, looked on course for a hundred but Ayabonga Khaka (3-58) ended her 78-ball knock that included seven fours and two sixes.
India were cruising at 200-3 in 35 overs but South Africa managed to apply the brakes with the ball to drag themselves back into the contest.
Sharma could not be denied her fifty though and Richa Ghosh (34) chipped in with a cameo but India still fell short of the 300-mark.
Wolvaardt decided to lead by example when South Africa began their chase, featuring in half-century partnerships with Tazmin Brits and Sune Luus but part-timer Verma produced a two-wicket burst to rock South Africa’s chase.
Wolvaardt took 96 balls to bring up her second hundred in a row but her exit in the 42nd over effectively sealed the match in India’s favour.
The batter holed out against player-of-the-tournament Sharma and Amanjot Kaur took the catch on her third attempt before being mobbed by her ecstatic teammates.
“Unfortunate to be on the losing side but we’ll definitely grow from this as a group,” Wolvaardt said.
