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India put on a show in the Women's World Cup 2025 final against South Africa and posted a dauting total of 298/7 at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy. The innings was powered by a sensational start from the openers, with Shafali Verma smashing 87 off 78 balls and Smriti Mandhana contributing with 45 runs. The dazzling opening duo forged a robust 104-run to give India a strong start.
India post commanding total in Women's World Cup final
Despite the commanding start, the South African bowlers engineered a crucial comeback. After removing both Mandhana and Verma, the Proteas began to chip away at the Indian middle order, successfully preventing any major partnerships from developing further. Nevertheless, valuable contributions from Deepti Sharma, who scored a run-a-ball 58, and a quickfire 34 off 24 balls from Richa Ghosh, ensured India finished just shy of the 300 mark, setting a challenging target for South Africa to chase in the final.
Historically, chasing targets in the Women's World Cup final has proven to be extremely difficult. Out of the ten finals played, the defending team has emerged victorious on six occasions. The highest target successfully chased in a Women's World Cup final is a modest 167, achieved by England against New Zealand in the 2009 final in North Sydney. This low benchmark highlights just how rarely teams manage to overhaul significant totals in the high-pressure environment of a final.
In the current final, India's total of 298/6 is a formidable score that stands as the second-highest total ever in a Women's World Cup final. The only score higher was Australia's 356/5 against England in the 2022 final, a game the Australians went on to win comfortably by 71 runs. India's large total, therefore, presents a stiff challenge for the chasing side, South Africa, given the historical difficulty of successful run-chases in the championship match.
This final marks India's third appearance in a Women's World Cup final, as they continue their quest for a maiden title. Their previous attempts ended in heartbreak: they lost to Australia by 98 runs in the 2005 final, and then suffered a narrow nine-run defeat to England in 2017 after a late batting collapse. With a high total now on the board, the Women in Blue will be determined to make this third attempt count and finally secure the coveted trophy.
Highest chases in Women's World Cup finals:
1 - 167 by England vs New Zealand in the 2009 final
2 - 165 by Australia vs New Zealand in the 1997 final
3 - 152 by Australia vs England in the 1982 final
4 - 128 by Australia vs England in the 1988 final
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