Verma, Sharma help India post 298-7 in Women’s World Cup final

NAVI MUMBAI: Half-centuries by Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma helped India post a competitive 298-7 against South Africa in the Women’s World Cup final in Mumbai on Sunday.

Put into bat in a rain-delayed match, India rode on an opening stand of 104 between Smriti Mandhana (45) and Verma, who top-scored with 87, to stay in the hunt for their first title in front of a sell-out home crowd.

Sharma hit 58 off 58 balls at the 45,000-capacity DY Patil Stadium - a venue that has produced big runs, including India’s record chase of 339 in the semi-final against Australia.

The ODI World Cup is awaiting a new champion with South Africa also eyeing their first crown.

Rain held up the start of the match by two hours before South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt won the toss in her team’s first final in the tournament.

Hosts India soon took charge with the left-handed Mandhana and Verma hitting regular boundaries to take the attack to the opposition bowlers.

South Africa introduced spin in the 17th over and Chloe Tyron struck in the next over with her left-arm orthodox bowling to send back in-form Mandhana, caught behind.

Swashbuckling opener Verma, who came in as replacement for injured Pratika Rawal in the semi-final, reached her fifty.

Verma survived a reprieve on 56 when Anneke Bosch dropped a simple catch at deep mid-wicket off spinner Sune Luus, to the delight of the Indian fans.

Medium-pace bowler Ayabonga Khaka dismissed Verma when she got the batter holed out at mid-off . In the next over took down semi-final hero Jemimah Rodrigues, for 24, to check India’s surge.

Sharma and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur got down to the grind to rebuild the innings, in the face of tidy South African bowling.

Harmanpreet and then Amanjot Kaur departed as India seemed to fall behind on a high-scoring pitch but Sharma was joined by Richa Ghosh, who hit 34, and the two took on the bowling.

India, runners-up in 2005 and 2017, are playing their in third final.