Navi Mumbai, Nov 2 (NationPress) Shafali Verma achieved her first half-century in three years in ODIs, while Deepti Sharma secured her third in this Women's World Cup, as India scored 298/7 in their allotted 50 overs against South Africa during the final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.

At just 21 years old, Shafali became the youngest player to score a fifty in a World Cup final, contributing a remarkable 87 runs after returning to the ODI team following a year away. She formed a century partnership with Smriti Mandhana (45), although South Africa managed to stabilize the game in the middle overs. Deepti Sharma's third half-century of the tournament, alongside Richa Ghosh, who chipped in with 34 runs, helped India inch closer to the 300-run target. With slightly better execution, India could have surpassed that milestone.

India, batting first, began with an impressive opening stand, with Shafali and Smriti combining to score 100 runs for the first wicket, marking a significant milestone of 1000 runs in partnerships as openers. They became only the fourth Indian duo to achieve this feat.

Shafali, who stepped in for the injured Pratika Rawal just ahead of the semifinal, began her innings aggressively, hitting seven fours and two sixes during her innings of 87 off 78 balls.

She opened with a boundary against Ayabonga Khaka in the second over after Marizanne Kapp bowled a maiden over. Together with Mandhana, she accumulated 64 runs in the Power-play and reached her fifty in just 49 balls, including five boundaries and the first six of the final off Nadine de Klerk.

Mandhana, who initially started slowly, accelerated her scoring but was dismissed for 45 off 58 deliveries, featuring eight fours.

Shafali, the youngest player to represent India, received a lucky break when Anneke Bosch dropped a catch while she was on 57. She hit another six before falling at a difficult moment, caught by Sune Luus off Khaka for 87 runs.

Following Shafali's departure at 166/2, India struggled as both Jemimah Rodrigues (24) and Harmanpreet Kaur (20) fell cheaply after their standout performance against Australia in the semifinals.

South African spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba played a key role in slowing down India's run rate, taking the crucial wicket of the Indian captain. India found themselves at 223/4 after Harman's exit, quickly dropping to 245/5 as Amanjot Kaur was dismissed for a mere 12 runs. Some questioned the decision to send Amanjot ahead of Richa Sharma, who previously scored a brilliant 94 against South Africa in the group stage.

As an all-rounder, Deepti Sharma remained steady, while Richa looked for big hits, including a six off de Klerk. Richa was eventually dropped by Bosch but fell in the subsequent over. Deepti reached her fifty off 52 balls, marking her sixth in ODIs, yet India did not manage to reach the psychological barrier of 300 runs.

Brief Scores: India 298/7 in 50 overs (Shafali Verma 87, Deepti Sharma 54, Richa Ghosh 34; Ayabonga Khaka 3-58) against South Africa.