India have produced a commanding batting display in the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 final at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, posting a strong total of 298 for seven in 50 overs against South
Africa. The innings was powered by an explosive 87 from opener Shafali Verma, whose 78-ball knock included seven fours and two sixes, setting the tone for India's aggressive start.
Smriti Mandhana gave the team early momentum with a fluent 45 off 58 balls, stitching a 104-run opening stand with Shafali that laid the foundation for the innings.
Despite losing momentum briefly after Mandhana's dismissal, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh reignited the scoring in the later stages. Deepti's composed 58 off 58 balls, including three fours and a six, proved vital in stabilizing the middle order, while wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh's fiery 34 off 24 balls added late acceleration.
Despite threatening to score beyond 300 while Richa Ghosh was there, India have fallen short of the mark by 2 runs. But they are very much in it and need to do two things to defend this total.
How can India win the Women's World Cup 2025?
Early Wickets
The Indian bowlers will have to pick up early wickets to put South Africans under pressure. With a great batting lineup that the Proteas have, early wickets is the only way to rattle them, especially in a big match such as the World Cup final. Hence, the Indian pacers will have to be on the mark from the get-go, and there shouldn't be any kind of complacency in their bowling. Renuka Thakur and Kranti Gaud, it's up to these two players to provide the magic start for the Indian team.
Efficiency on the Field
South Africa had an amazing outing in the field today. Despite missing some catches, they were excellent in the ground fielding. And the Indians will have to do the same thing. Harmanpreet Kaur and her team have been guilty of leaking runs and missing catches in this World Cup, and that cannot happen in the final. If the Indian fielders can save the easy runs and remain proactive on the field, South Africa batters can be put into trouble, which can lead to wickets.
