Navi Mumbai, Nov. 2 -- A brilliant innings from Shafali Verma, who struck 87 off 78 balls, laid the foundation for India's strong total, while important contributions from Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh took the team to 298/7 in the Women's World Cup final against South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.

Although India fell just short of the 300-run mark, it was still the second-highest total ever recorded in a Women's World Cup final, behind Australia's 356/5 against England in the 2022 edition. South Africa's fielding effort was below par, as they dropped few catches that allowed India to keep building partnerships throughout the innings.

After South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt won the toss and chose to field f...