'It's the start of a new chapter'

KAUR'S TEAM DEFEAT SOUTH AFRICA TO CLINCH MAIDEN WOMEN'S WORLD CUP TITLE

- BY JAI PRASAD V. RAI

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur hailed her team's maiden Women's World Cup victory as "just the beginning" after a commanding 52-run win over South Africa in Sunday's final at Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium.

Propelled by all-round brilliance from Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma, India clinched the coveted title for the first time in front of a jubilant home crowd. The hosts posted an imposing 298 for 7 before bowling out South Africa for 246 in 45.3 overs, with Sharma starring both with bat and ball.

Sharma, who struck a run-a-ball 58, followed up her batting heroics with a devastating five-wicket haul. Verma, meanwhile, top-scored with 87 as India recovered from a rain delay of over two hours to set a challenging total after being put in to bat.

South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt fought valiantly with a century (101), but once Sharma dismissed her, the 45,000-strong crowd erupted as India edged closer to a historic win. Sharma then sealed the victory by removing Nadine de Klerk for 18, sparking scenes of celebration across the stadium and the cricket-mad nation.

Long-awaited triumph