Shafali Verma put on a show in only her second match as replacement player. After missing out on the semi-final match, Shafali fired all guns blazing as her 87 alongside Deepti Sharma’s 58 and others chipping in helped India post 298/7 in 50 overs. For South Africa, Ayabonga Khaka picked up 3 wickets while Nonkululeko Mlaba was economical to say the least with one wicket. The pitch is decent to bat on and so, this 299 will be gettable but won’t be easy.
Shafali Verma & Smriti Mandhana give India a fast start in the powerplay.Â
Put into bat first, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma came out to bat for India while Marizanne Kapp had ball in hand for South Africa. Kapp started the final with a maiden over. Ayabonga Khaka had ball in hand from the other end. Shafali made her intentions clear as she shimmied down the wicket and square drove it between backward point and cover point for a boundary. Kapp continued and Mandhana got herself a first boundary as she hung back abd cut the ball between backward point and cover point for a boundary.
Shafali took the attack to Khaka as she whipped her away behind square for a boundary at backward square leg. She completed 3500 runs in international cricket. Kapp continued as Verma advanced and timed it past diving covers for a boundary. She hit Kapp again by flicking it past midwicket for a boundary. Khaka continued as Mandhana climbed onto her by steering it to third man region for a boundary and then she played a authentic cover drive through the sweeper for a boundary. Khaka conceded 4 wides as a bonus for the batting side.
Kapp continued and bowled a poor ball to Mandhana who flicked it away behind square for a boundary as the 50-run stand came up in 6.3 overs. Nonkululeko Mlaba was introduced into the attack inside the powerplay as we saw first signs of spin into the innings. Shafali welcomed her with a boundary crisply through the covers for a boundary. Mandhana then hit over cover point for a brace.
Nadine de Klerk came into the attack next as Mandhana caressed her through square of the wicket for a boundary. Mlaba continued to bowl the final over of the powerplay. She bowled a miserly first 10th over as India were 64/0 in 10 overs at the end of the powerplay.
Shafali drives the innings forward despite losing Mandhana.Â
Nadine continued after the powerplay and she bowled a tight over. Mlaba bowled a good over as well. Nadine bowled another decent over. Mlaba continued as Mandhana broke the shackles as she stayed deep in the crease and guided it with an open bat face past the right of backward point for a boundary. Nadine continued as Shafali took her on by planting her front leg and got underneath it and played a lofted cover drove down the ground for the maximum.
Mlaba bowled another tight over as India at the first Drinks Break went to 92/0 in 16 overs. Sune Luus came into the attack after the break. Mandhana nicely swept away and shuffled across to get down on one knee and swept it to deep square leg for a boundary. Chloe Tryon came into the attack next. Mandhana took the aerial route and lofted him over mid-off as the ball ran away to the fence. The 100 came up for India in 17.2 overs and of the partnership as well.
Tryon got her revenge soon after a few balls as she dismissed the dangerous Smriti Mandhana for 45 off 58 balls with 8 fours to her name. Tryon bowled fuller length outside the off-stump line. Mandhana rocked back and looked to cut but only managed to get an outside edge that was taken behind the stumps by Jafta. Jemimah Rodrigues came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Shafali Verma got to her fifty in 49 balls as she has played a stellar knock under pressure. Luus continued and bowled a decent over. Tryon continued and kept things tight out there. At the completion of 20 overs. India were 114/1.
Shafali got a reprieve while batting on 56 as she skied the ball by slog sweeping it high to deep backward square leg. Bosch settled underneath it but failed to hold onto the catch. Rodrigues joined in the fun as she drilled it crisply through the covers for a boundary. Tryon continued as Shafali took advantage of a poor ball by rocking back and pulled it to deep square leg for a boundary. Luus continued and bowled another good over. Tryon bowled another good over. Luus continued as Verma took her on by stepping down the track and launched it over long-off for the maximum. The 150 came up for India in 24.5 overs.
At the completion of 25 overs, India were 151/1 and well-placed to score a good total on this pitch.
South Africa peg things back with crucial strikes in this middle phase of the game.Â
Ayabonga Khaka came back to bowl a fresh spell. She overstepped as the 50-run stand came up betweem Shafali and Jemimah. The free hit yielded nothing but Verma managed to go up and over the off-side as he lofted it over long-off for a boundary. Mlaba came back into the attack and bowled a quiet over. Khaka then dealt a major blow to India as she dismissed the set batter Shafali Verma for 87 off 78 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes to her name.
Khaka bowled full on the leg stump as Shafali made room on the leg side and looked to clear mid-off and didn’t quite get the elevation and the ball went straight to Luus who backtracked a bit at mid-off and took a fine catch at the edge of the circle. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur came out to bat next. Kapp came back into the attack as Kaur got off the mark by scooping it over the keeper’s head for a boundary.
Khaka returned to the attack and she got rid of Rodrigues for 24 off 37 balls with a boundary to her name. Khaka bowled it full and outside the off-stump. Jemimah drove it uppishly to the cover fielder. Wolvaardt was there at short extra and she was claiming the catch. Replays showed that the fingers were underneath the ball. After much replays, the TV umpire gives it in favour of the bowler. Deepti Sharma came out to bat and got off the mark as well as India reached 172/3 in 30 overs.
Kapp continued and bowled a tight over. Khaka too kept things tight. Deepti then broke the shackles by going deep in her crease and hoicked it across the line and cleared midwicket for the maximum. India were 185/3 in 33 overs when we paused for the second and final drinks break of the innings. Tryon came back into the attack after the break. Kaur broke the shackles by staying deep in the crease and opened the bat face to steer it through the short third region for a boundary.
Nadine de Klerk came back into the attack. She bowled a decent over as the 200 came up for India in 35 overs. Tryon bowled another tight over. Nadine thought she had Deepti LBW but the batter challenged it and replays showed that the ball pitched outside the leg stump. The decision was reversed to NOT OUT. Deepti managed to hit a boundary by going down on one knee and swept it past the right of the fielder for a boundary. Tryon continued as Deepti got low and slog swept it between deep midwicket and long-on for a boundary.
Mlaba came back into the attack and she removed the Indian captain Kaur for 20 off 29 balls with 2 fours to her name. Mlaba bowled it slightly short than the good length around off from wider of the crease and the ball skidded off the surface as Kaur backed away and went for the cut but got cramped for room and missed the ball to see it crash on off-stump. Amanjot Kaur came out to bat next. Kapp bowled a tight over as India were 229/4 in 40 overs with important 10 overs to come.
Deepti Sharma & Richa Ghosh takes India to 298/7 in 50 overs.Â
Mlaba continued as Deepti was dropped by Laura Wolvaardt who dived forward but could not hang on at long-on as the batter got a life. Kapp continued as Amanjot chopped it with an open bat face and got it between backward point and short third for a boundary. Mlaba continued as Deepti survived a LBW scare as ball tracking showed it to outside off-stump on impact.
Nadine de Klerk then got rid of Amanjot for 12 off 14 balls with a boundary to her name. Nadine bowled from over the wicket a fuller length outside off-stump slower delivery. Amanjot looked to chip it to long-on for a single and ended up lobbing it up to the right of the bowler. Nadine moved to her right and stuck her hand in the way. The ball stuck despite colliding with Deepti at the non-striker’s end. Richa Ghosh came out to bat next.
Richa took on Nadine as she made room on the leg side and thumped it over deep extra cover for the maximum as the 250 came up for India in 43.3 overs. Khaka returned for another spell as Richa flicked it away along the carpet between deep midwicket and long-on as the ball went away to the fence. India were now 262/5 in 45 overs.
Nadine continued as Richa took the aerial route and got underneath it to slice it away uppishly to deep backward point for a boundary. Mlaba continued as Richa brought out the reverse sweep and got a boundary to backward point. Mlaba finished her spell. Kapp came to bowl her final over as Richa hit it flat and used her wrists to slice it over deep extra cover for the maximum. Deepti reached her half century in 53 balls and this was her 18th ODI half-century. Ghosh was then dropped off a full toss by Kapp which was deemed as a fair ball on replays as Bosch dropped another catch.
Khaka continued as Deepti hit the low full toss as Deepti made room on the leg side and lofted it over covers for a boundary. Khaka got rid of Richa off the final ball of the over as she fell for 34 off 24 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes to her name. Khaka bowled full on the leg stump angling down. Richa went back and across and looked to whip it away over deep backward square leg as she didn’t get the timing or power behind the stroke and hit that straight down the throat of Dercksen who made no mistake. Radha Yadav came out to bat next.
Nadine bowled the final over of the innings. She bowled a brilliant last over while Deepti was run out of the final ball of the innings after scoring 58 off 58 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to her name. Radha was unbeaten on 3 off 3 balls as India finished with 298/7 in 50 overs. 15 extras given by South Africa.
For South Africa, Ayabonga Khaka chipped in with 3/58 in 9 overs. Nonkululeko Mlaba finished with 1/47 in 10 overs. Nadine de Klerk finished with 1/52 in 9 overs. Sune Luus bowled 5 overs and gave away 34 runs. Chloe Trypn bowled 7 overs for 46 runs and picked up a wicket. Marizanne Kapp gave 59 runs in 10 overs. South Africa needs 299 runs to win their maiden ODI World Cup.
Who’s Winning, India or South Africa?Â
It’s tough to choose a winner at the break. This match can go either way in our view. India have runs on the board but are 20-30 runs short from where they were at one stage and would be disappointed at their finish. South Africa will be fancying their chances of winning this one as captain Laura Wolvaardt will be the key in this chase. Can India defend this score? Only time will tell.
All set for a fascinating chase in this grand finale.
Also Read:Â ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: Jemimah Rodrigues’ Special Ton Powers India Into The Final.