NEW DELHI: South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and chose to bowl first against India in the final of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.
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The toss took place nearly two hours later than scheduled after heavy rain delayed the start of the match. However, no overs were lost despite the interruption. Both teams named unchanged XIs from their respective semifinal victories.
Wolvaardt said the surface looked good for chasing and expected early assistance for her seamers. “A bit of rain around, so it just feels like a nice day to chase later with a bit of movement on offer. The surface looks pretty good, and hopefully we can get a bit of swing early on with the rain we’ve had over the last couple of hours. But yeah, looks like a really good wicket overall,” she said.
Acknowledging the importance of the moment, Wolvaardt said her team was excited for the challenge. “It’s a big day for us, but we’re just really excited about the opportunity. It’s very special playing in front of a crowd like this, so we’ll just look to enjoy every moment,” she added.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said she too would have opted to bowl first, given the overcast conditions, but was confident about setting a strong total. “We would've bowled first as well, given the weather and conditions. But yeah, it’s an important game, and somehow it feels like we’re back in rhythm. Hopefully, we can bat freely and put up a strong total on the board,” she said.
Harmanpreet noted that the pitch was slightly sticky due to the rain but expected it to settle quickly. “The outfield is slightly damp too, but I think after five or six overs it should settle down nicely. We’ll try to do the same things again — play with intent, stay positive, and back our plans,” she said.
Both India and South Africa are eyeing a maiden World Cup title. India hold a slight edge, having reached the final twice before (2005 and 2017), and will be buoyed by the home crowd support. India have already played three matches at this venue, while South Africa are featuring in Navi Mumbai for the first time this tournament.
Playing XIs:
India: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
The toss took place nearly two hours later than scheduled after heavy rain delayed the start of the match. However, no overs were lost despite the interruption. Both teams named unchanged XIs from their respective semifinal victories.
Wolvaardt said the surface looked good for chasing and expected early assistance for her seamers. “A bit of rain around, so it just feels like a nice day to chase later with a bit of movement on offer. The surface looks pretty good, and hopefully we can get a bit of swing early on with the rain we’ve had over the last couple of hours. But yeah, looks like a really good wicket overall,” she said.
Acknowledging the importance of the moment, Wolvaardt said her team was excited for the challenge. “It’s a big day for us, but we’re just really excited about the opportunity. It’s very special playing in front of a crowd like this, so we’ll just look to enjoy every moment,” she added.
India captain Harmanpreet Kaur said she too would have opted to bowl first, given the overcast conditions, but was confident about setting a strong total. “We would've bowled first as well, given the weather and conditions. But yeah, it’s an important game, and somehow it feels like we’re back in rhythm. Hopefully, we can bat freely and put up a strong total on the board,” she said.
Harmanpreet noted that the pitch was slightly sticky due to the rain but expected it to settle quickly. “The outfield is slightly damp too, but I think after five or six overs it should settle down nicely. We’ll try to do the same things again — play with intent, stay positive, and back our plans,” she said.
Both India and South Africa are eyeing a maiden World Cup title. India hold a slight edge, having reached the final twice before (2005 and 2017), and will be buoyed by the home crowd support. India have already played three matches at this venue, while South Africa are featuring in Navi Mumbai for the first time this tournament.
Playing XIs:
India: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh
South Africa: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba
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