In a display of class and composure, Shafali Verma brought up a well-deserved half-century off 49 balls, guiding India to a commanding start in the Women’s ODI World Cup final against South Africa. The 20-year-old opener reached her milestone with a single, raising her bat to acknowledge the applause before sharing a warm embrace with her partner Jemimah Rodrigues. It was a moment that reflected both relief and determination — Shafali knew her task was far from complete.

This innings marked a significant return to form for Shafali, ending a long wait since her last ODI fifty back in July 2022. Between then and today, she had endured a lean patch across 13 innings, nine of which ended below 15 runs and six in single digits. Her confident stroke play and controlled aggression on this grand stage underline her evolution as a batter capable of shouldering responsibility when it matters most.

India’s openers have been a revelation throughout this tournament. Their partnership numbers speak volumes — an aggregate of 671 runs, comfortably ahead of the next best tally of 390. The average of 83.87 is also the highest among all teams, while their run-rate of 6.02 ranks third overall. Most impressively, the pair has produced three century stands, the most by any opening duo in the competition.

Shafali’s effort, however, was briefly overshadowed by the dismissal of Smriti Mandhana, who once again provided a fluent start. The stylish left-hander scored 45 off 58 balls before being dismissed by Chloe Tryon, caught behind by wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta. It was the second time in this World Cup that Mandhana had fallen to a left-arm spinner from South Africa — earlier, Nonkululeko Mlaba had accounted for her in the group-stage meeting.

Despite Mandhana’s departure, India’s opening stand of 104 runs laid a solid foundation. With Shafali in fine touch and the middle order yet to be tested, India look well-placed to capitalise in this high-stakes encounter — one that promises to crown a new champion in women’s cricket. (With inputs from Agencies)