At Mumbai's D. Y. Patil Stadium today, November 2, the exciting final match of the ICC Women's One Day World Cup 2025 will be played between India and South Africa. This historic match will begin at 3 PM, and the entire cricket world is now focused on this final battle.
The Indian team has made history with an outstanding performance in this tournament. Meanwhile, the South African women's team has also shown tremendous form, reaching the final for the first time. There is no doubt that this match will be thrilling. Notably, after 25 years, the Women's World Cup will have a new champion.
A unique 12-year tradition
According to statistics, in the last 12 years, the team batting first has won the Women's World Cup final in all three instances. Therefore, the importance of the toss in today's match will be decisive. In 2013, Australia won by batting first against the West Indies. In 2017, England batted first and defeated India by 9 runs. In the last final, Australia again batted first and defeated England by 71 runs. This means that in three consecutive finals, the team batting first has claimed the cup. So, everyone is watching to see if the same tradition continues this year.
The pitch at D. Y. Patil Stadium is always favorable for batsmen. Runs are easily scored in the first half of the day, but as the evening humidity increases, bowlers get some advantage with swing and spin. Therefore, the team winning the toss will have a big decision to make whether to bat or bowl. If the toss decision is wrong, it can change the entire course of the match, and historically, batting first has proven to be more beneficial.
The Indian team achieved a historic victory at the same ground in the semifinal match. By chasing the largest run in women's ODI cricket, the team reached the final. This victory has boosted the team's confidence. Players like captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, and Shafali Verma are expected to play big innings today as well. On the other hand, South Africa is also eager to win the cup, and there is no doubt that there will be a fierce competition between the two teams.