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MUMBAI: Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma starred with both bat and ball to propel India to their first Women\u2019s World Cup title with a 52-run win over South Africa on Sunday.<\/strong><\/p>\n Hosts India posted 298-7 and then bowled South Africa out for 246 with spinner Sharma taking five wickets in front of a sell-out home crowd at Mumbai\u2019s DY Patil Stadium.<\/p>\n Verma top-scored with 87 and Sharma hit 58 off as many balls as India posted a challenging total after they were put in to bat in a final delayed two hours by rain.<\/p>\n South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt hit a valiant 101 but her departure off Sharma raised the noise at the 45,000-capacity stadium, which had turned into a sea of blue.<\/p>\n Sharma took down Nadine de Klerk, for 18, as the final wicket as Harmanpreet Kaur\u2019s India celebrated with the jubilant crowd inside the ground and millions outside in the cricket-mad nation.<\/p>\n The Indian women triumphed at the third attempt after finishing runners-up in 2005 and 2017.<\/p>\n Sharma struck key blows with her off-spin including Annerie Dercksen, who hit 35 in a 61-run partnership with in-form opener Wolvaardt.<\/p>\n But it was Sharma\u2019s double-wicket over to dismiss Wolvaardt and then Chloe Tryon, for nine, that took India to the brink of victory.<\/p>\n Kaur\u2019s ploy of giving the ball to Verma, an opening batter and a part-time off-spinner, in the 20th over proved key as the youngster removed Sune Luus.<\/p>\n Verma dislodged Marizanne Kapp in the next over to plunge South Africa into deeper trouble but Wolvaardt kept South Africa in the game until her departure in the 42nd over.<\/p>\n Verma, who was brought into the team for the semi-final after fellow opener Pratika Rawal went down injured, came out roaring with the bat.<\/p>\n She put on 104 runs with Smriti Mandhana (45) to lay solid foundations at a venue that has produced big runs, including India\u2019s record chase of 339 in the semi-final against Australia.<\/p>\n Sharma then added valuable runs with her 18th ODI fifty to crank up the pressure on South Africa despite three wickets for Ayabonga Khaka.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n