South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt was the only one standing between India and ultimate glory. Hunting for their maiden ICC trophy, the two teams were going toe-to-toe at the DY Patil Cricket Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Before the 30th over mark, India had them at 148/5. But South Africa was still very much in the game. The Proteas had incredible batting depth. But the issue was Wolvaardt. She was the main player. Despite wickets falling, the Proteas captain looked as confident as ever.
299 wasn’t a small target, but in the semifinal against England, South Africa had scored 319 while batting first. And in the match, Wolvaardt scored 169 runs. She was the reason why England lost 125 runs and didn’t qualify for the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup Final.
The catch that won India Women their maiden World Cup
Until Wolvaardt was there in the middle, South Africa wasn’t out of the game. With Chloe Tryon batting alongside her and Nadine de Klerk yet to come, the Proteas had a good chance of winning. But then in the 42nd over, the match ended.
No, South Africa wasn’t all out. But Wolvaardt was caught towards deep midwicket. She had just scored her second consecutive hundred and was about to start bashing the ball before Deepti Sharma outfoxed her, and Amanjot Kaur claimed a fumbling catch.
It wasn’t just a wicket. It was the moment India won and South Africa lost. The Proteas lost Tyron in the same over, and from there on, it was too much for de Klerk to do. And with Harmanpreet Kaur taking the final catch, India won by 52 runs to lift their maiden Women’s ICC trophy.
“Everyone knew how important that catch was. I have never fumbled but so happy that it stuck finally. This is a huge moment,” Amanjot said after India won.
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