India’s women’s cricket team finally scaled victory at Navi Mumbai, after years of hard work, as they defeated South Africa to clinch their first World Cup trophy. The ODI cup was won by 52 runs as Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma showed a remarkable performance against their rivals.
This was the 13th edition of the series, and India became the fourth team to win the trophy, which has been won by Australia seven times, England four times, and New Zealand once. The moment was a historic one as India compensated for its loss in the 2005 and 2017 finals, as Harmanpreet’s team took the trophy after a long time.
India went to bat first and scored 298 for seven, the second-highest score in the history of the tournament. Shafali scored 87 runs, followed by vice-captain Smriti Mandhana’s 45, and a 58 by Deepti. India had set a massive target of 299 for the chase, as South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt scored a century; it could still not compensate for the chase after an impeccable performance by Shefali and Deepti, which ensured India’s victory.
South Africa was left at 211-7, at the 41st over, ensuring the trophy for the women in blue despite a good start by the South African team. The team made 52 runs in the first 10 overs with just one wicket down. Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits added 51 runs before being hit by India’s Amanjot Kaur.
Wolvaardt was a tough contender, but as she tried to sweep the game, Deepti hit her twice in four balls, making it the turning point in the game. Deepti and Shafali’s performance made the night a historic one for the country.
The toss was won by the South African team, which decided to bowl, and considering the chances of rain, it was an important event. Conditions were such that the early bowlers would have been favoured, but destiny was written to favour the Indian team, which clinched the title against all odds.
