1m agoSun 2 Nov 2025 at 11:10amUnchanged XIs for both sides
So, no changes for either side.
There was some discussion about whether India would opt to leave out one of its right arm off-spinners, considering South Africa has a fully right-handed batting lineup.
But they’ve resisted the urge.
There are a lot of runs in these 22 names, that’s for sure.
SA XI: Laura Wolvaardt (capt), Tazmin Brits, Anneke Bosch, Sune Luus, Marizanne Kapp, Annerie Dercksen, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Chloe Tryon, Nadine de Klerk, Ayabonga Khaka, Nonkululeko Mlaba
India XI: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh
6m agoSun 2 Nov 2025 at 11:04amToss: South Africa wins toss and elects to field
It’s happening!
The toss is happening!
The covers are off, the sun is shining, and South Africa’s Laura Wolvaardt has won the toss.
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, she sends India in to bat.
And to confirm – we haven’t lost any overs.
23m agoSun 2 Nov 2025 at 10:48am
Cheers, Old timer
Perhaps we should rein in our expectations of play commencing ……
– Old timer
Love your work.
26m agoSun 2 Nov 2025 at 10:45amPlay to begin at 10:30pm AEDT…hopefully
(Getty Images)
Well, good news! (sort of)
The covers are off, the rain has stopped and the ground is being dried.
It has been announced the toss will take place at 10pm AEDT and the first ball will be bowled at 10:30pm AEDT.
However … the covers have just been reapplied.
Apparently, it isn’t raining at the moment … so fingers crossed the ground staff are being overly precautionary.
I understand that if play gets pushed back again, we’ll start losing overs.
45m agoSun 2 Nov 2025 at 10:26am
The pool phase that keeps on giving
Hello Henry – it seems the pool phase isn’t quite finished…
– Mike
What an entrance!
G’day Mike, nice to have you with us.
If anyone has any more rain related puns, it would be greatly appreciated if you could send them in.
56m agoSun 2 Nov 2025 at 10:15am
A pretty sodden World Cup
(Getty Images)
It’s unfortunately fitting that rain plays a role in the final of the 2025 World Cup.
Five of the tournament’s first 30 games were washed out completely, with a whole lot more impacted by the elements.
New Zealand had it particularly bad.
The Kiwis’ semifinal aspirations took a sucker punch when their pool phase clashes with Pakistan and Sri Lanka were washed out in Colombo, with departing legend Sophie Devine not best pleased with conditions in the Sri Lankan capital.
“You wait four years for a World Cup and to have rain play such a massive part in it is disappointing,” Devine said after the match against Pakistan.
“You’ve waited for so long and you want to test yourself against the best and to be scuppered by rain, it’s a real shame for me.”
(Getty Images)
Four of the 11 games scheduled for Colombo were washed out – which shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, considering it is the middle of the rainy season.
However, the amount of rain we’ve had in Navi Mumbai was unexpected. As you can see, October and November aren’t historically wet months.
(Google)
However, all the bar graphs in the world can’t change the fact that water is falling from the sky in Navi Mumbai. And quite a lot of it.
The wait goes on.
1h agoSun 2 Nov 2025 at 9:55am
South Africa pummels England to reach decider
It was a statement win from the Proteas in their semifinal against England.
Coming off the back of that seven-wicket drubbing by Australia in the last pool phase game and having been bowled out for just 69 against England earlier in the tournament, it was an emphatic return to form for the Proteas.
Captain Laura Wolvaardt sparkled with 169 as South Africa put together its best batting innings of the tournament, finishing on 7-319 before bowling England out for 194.
That batting performance will be of particular encouragement for South African fans, considering how hot and cold the Proteas blew with the willow in the pool phase.
1h agoSun 2 Nov 2025 at 9:47am
India stuns Australia
With the heavens still open and the covers still firmly in place in Navi Mumbai, why don’t we take a look back on India’s stunning semifinal victory over Australia?
(Getty Images)
It was a result that sent shockwaves around the cricketing world.
The all-conquering Australians were simply outplayed in Thursday’s second semifinal, with India storming home in dramatic fashion.
Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur were outstanding with the bat for the tournament co-hosts, but Australia wilted somewhat underneath the floodlights in Navi Mumbai, throwing down more than a few questionable deliveries, shelling some pretty regulation chances and never quite finding a rhythm with the ball.
In the end, India won by five wickets with nine balls to spare.
Oh, and the successful chase of 339 was the highest in the history of WODIs.
Here’s how Dean and I saw it.
1h agoSun 2 Nov 2025 at 9:40am
Contingency plans
Evening Henry & Dean. Just curious – what is the outcome if it were to be rained off (inadequate overs, etc,) ? Do they have a reserve day or is that too commonsensical ?
– Old timer
G’day Old timer – it is bucketing out there at the minute, with the water pooling on the covers and spilling onto the oval.
When the weather passes, the ground staff will have a big job ahead of them.
Thankfully, we do have a reserve day set aside for tomorrow.
But that will only be used if we can’t get 20 overs of action per side in today, in which case, the game will pick up from where it left off.
1h agoSun 2 Nov 2025 at 9:28am
More rain in Navi Mumbai…
(Getty Images)
We’re fast approaching that rescheduled toss time of 3pm local time, and I hate to say it folks, but it ain’t gonna happen.
The rain has gotten a lot heavier in Navi Mumbai; the covers are back on and all the players – who had been warming up on the field – are huddled in the dugouts.
A real shame for everyone involved, especially considering it’s a sell-out.
We’ll keep you in the know.
1h agoSun 2 Nov 2025 at 9:15amReadjusted start times
Due to persistent and unseasonable rain in Navi Mumbai, the toss has been delayed at least half an hour, as has the scheduled start of play.
The first ball is now scheduled to be bowled at:
9:00pm in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT8:30pm in South Australia8:00pm in Queensland7:30pm in the Northern Territory6:00pm in Western Australia1h agoSun 2 Nov 2025 at 9:14amToday’s forecast (yep, those are covers…)
Unfortunately, rain has been a pretty consistent theme of this World Cup to date, with five of the 30 matches played so far rained out.
Neither of the semifinals were seriously impacted by bad weather, but I’m sorry to say that may not be the case today.
It’s pretty bizarre to have such persistent rain in Navi Mumbai at this time of year, but here we are.
This is how the DY Patil Stadium looked not too long ago.
The covers are off now, but the toss and start of play have been delayed by at half an hour.
And this is what to expect over the course of the afternoon and evening.
This spell of rain is expected to clear before play is scheduled to begin at 3pm local time.
(accuweather.com)
2h agoSun 2 Nov 2025 at 8:34am
Hello!
(Getty Images)
Good evening and welcome to ABC Sport’s online coverage of the 2025 ODI World Cup final.
It is a truly momentous day for women’s cricket, with this being the first ODI World Cup final to feature neither England nor Australia.
Both India and South Africa are chasing a maiden title in Navi Mumbai.
My name’s Henry Hanson and I’ll be joined by Dean Bilton to guide you through all the action.
Buckle up, boil the kettle, commandeer the couch – we have an enthralling evening ahead of us.