Harmanpreet Kaur’s team won the match from the beginning at DY Patil Stadium on Sunday, but South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt made every effort to spoil the hosts’ party in the run chase. However, they made it to the final for a third time.
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Wolvaardt, who finished with 5-39 after being bowled off Deepti Sharma in the deep off the bowling, led from the beginning and finished with 101 off 98 when she was eventually caught in the deep off the bowling at 298-7.
Wolvaardt’s support was lacking compared to that found throughout an India team effort with the bat because South Africa frequently lost wickets at the other end before being bowled out for 246 in the 46th over.
Wolvaardt added another century to the one she scored on Thursday in the semifinal victory over England. After Alyssa Healy did so in Australia’s triumphant run in the 2022 edition, she is the only other player to have surpassed the feat of the back-to-back centuries at this stage of the competition.
This was South Africa’s first final, despite the fact that neither team has ever won.
India had already advanced to the final twice before, losing to Australia and England, respectively, in 2005 and 2017.
The first women’s World Cup final to feature either Australia or England, with the former having won seven games to go and being the record-holders.
India posted the second-highest overall total in a women’s World Cup final after being placed in after a protracted delay brought on by the rain. However, they will feel comfortable with a score of 151-1 at the halfway point of their innings, which they should have comfortably passed.
Mandhana, the opener, scored 45 runs to give the India batter a tournament-high 434 runs.
She now leads Mithali Raj, who ran 409 in the 2017 edition, in terms of runs scored at a World Cup, ahead of her on that list.
However, Shafali Verma, her opening partner, was in the spotlight on the day, who scored 87 off 78.
The middle over was dominated by Deepti Sharma’s run-a-ball of 58, and Richa Ghosh’s 34th strike-rate late in the innings marked the best strike-rate of the innings.
South Africa’s first pair successfully raised the fifty partnership in the tenth over. However, Tazmin Brits’ loss, which Amanjot Kaur had brilliant fielding for 23 minutes, caused a slog.
Before being sucked into by Sree Charani, Anneke Bosch forced herself to push back a painful six-ball duck.
After the 23rd over, Verma left South Africa reeling, picking up Marizanne Kapp and Sune Luus, with the ball.
It was difficult to see a way back for a team that was aiming to be the first senior team from their nation to win a significant International Cricket Council (ICC) title when Sinalo Jafta lost in the 30th to her team, 148-5.
By the time Wolvaardt’s innings were finished, India’s women knew they were going to do it better than their male competitors, who had the same host country in 2023 only to be let down by Australia in the final.
