The Women's World Cup final between India and South Africa witnessed a series of remarkable batting performances, resulting in several records being broken. The Indian team, in particular, showcased exceptional form, setting new benchmarks in the tournament's history.
Smriti Mandhana, the star Indian opener, etched her name in the record books by surpassing Mithali Raj's long-standing record for the most runs scored by an Indian in a single edition of the Women's World Cup. During her innings of 45 runs in the final, Mandhana took her tournament total to 434 runs, eclipsing Raj's previous record of 409 runs set in 2017. Mandhana's 434 runs came in 9 innings at an average of 54.25 and a strike rate of 99.08. Her performance in the final contributed to her impressive run in the tournament, which included a high score of 109. She ended the tournament as India's highest run-getter and overall second behind South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt (470 runs).
Despite her brilliant form, Mandhana narrowly missed another milestone, failing to become only the third Indian batter to reach 1,000 runs in Women's ODI World Cups. Currently, only Harmanpreet Kaur and Mithali Raj hold that distinction among Indian players.
Adding to the list of records, Mandhana and Shafali Verma established a historic opening partnership. Together, they forged a 104-run stand, becoming only the second opening pair in Women's World Cup history to achieve a century partnership in a final. The only other pair to accomplish this feat was the Australian duo of Rachael Haynes and Alyssa Healy, who recorded a 160-run stand in the 2022 final. Verma was particularly aggressive, scoring 87 runs off 78 balls, including seven fours and two sixes.
Verma's impressive innings was a significant comeback after a disappointing outing in the semi-final against Australia. Drafted into the team following an injury to Pratika Rawal, Verma seized the opportunity and played a crucial role in the final.
India's strong batting performance in the final saw them post a total of 298 runs. This score was built upon the solid foundation laid by Mandhana and Verma's opening partnership, as well as contributions from other batters. The team reached the 100-run mark in the 18th over, demonstrating their intent to set a competitive total.
