(Image source from: x.com/BCCIWomen)
India’s lengthy pursuit of an ICC title continues — and in a big way. In Navi Mumbai’s bright lights, they secured a spot in their third Women’s World Cup final. Jemimah Rodrigues made the night unforgettable, scoring a magnificent 127 as India defeated Australia by five wickets in a thrilling semi-final at the lively Dr DY Patil Stadium. Facing a challenging history and encouraged to aspire for success, Harmanpreet Kaur’s team united, breaking Australia’s 16-match winning streak in World Cup play, reminiscent of that memorable occasion in Derby when Harmanpreet’s 171 reshaped their hopes.
Previously, Australia had successfully chased 331 runs in Vizag, marking the highest successful run chase in Women’s ODIs. But in Navi Mumbai, India took control of the game — chasing down 339 runs with nine balls to go. Now, filled with passion and high spirits, India advances towards their goal — they will face South Africa in the final on November 2.
Australia chose to bat first and got an early break when Alyssa Healy was dropped by Harmanpreet Kaur. However, Healy couldn't take advantage of this opportunity, as Kranti Gaud took her wicket just before the rain delay. After that, Phoebe Litchfield and Ellyse Perry dominated the game, forming a strong 155-run partnership for the second wicket. Litchfield was initially ruled out at 62 while trying a reverse sweep off Shree Charani, but video replays showed it was a bump ball, allowing her to continue. The left-handed player seized the chance, achieving her third ODI century — and her first in a World Cup — off just 77 balls. It was also the quickest century in Women’s World Cup knockout history, making her the youngest to reach this mark.
Shortly after her century, Litchfield was dropped by Richa Ghosh and became more dangerous, hitting back-to-back sixes off Deepti Sharma. However, Amanjot Kaur gave India a break by getting Litchfield out for an impressive 119 off 93 balls, which included 19 fours and three sixes. Perry supported well, making an important 77. Charani then brought India back into the game by quickly dismissing Beth Mooney (24) and Annabel Sutherland. Yet, Ash Gardner contributed a rapid 63, along with helpful performances from Tahlia McGrath (12) and Kim Garth (17), pushing Australia to a strong total of 338 in 49.5 overs.
For India, Charani stood out once more — just like in Vizag — with figures of 10-0-49-2. Deepti Sharma bowled a solid final over and took two wickets, though she was expensive overall, giving away runs at 7.42 per over. Kranti Gaud also had a tough outing, conceding runs at 9.66. India's fielding mistakes, including several missed catches and overthrows, hurt their chances. India didn’t start well as Kim Garth got Shafali Verma out early. Shafali had begun her ODI comeback with two fours but was dismissed quickly. Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues then settled the innings, forming a 46-run partnership, but a sharp play by Alyssa Healy changed the momentum of the game.
Mandhana was dismissed while attempting to hit the ball down the leg side after Healy successfully challenged a call for a wide ball. The left-handed batter left the field with a score of 24 runs off as many balls, clearly upset since it seemed Australia was taking control of the game. Harmanpreet Kaur then came in to bat alongside Jemimah, and the two worked together to keep India's hopes alive. The Indian captain got lucky when Healy failed to stump her when she had only 10 runs. Capitalizing on that chance, Harmanpreet played an impressive innings scoring 89 runs, hitting 10 fours and two sixes. The duo formed a partnership of 167 runs—the largest partnership against Australia ever recorded in this tournament—combining patience with smart attacking play.
Healy's situation worsened when she dropped Jemimah at 82 runs, missing a fairly straightforward chance. Nevertheless, Annabel Sutherland made a breakthrough by getting Harmanpreet out just when India needed 113 runs to win. The Indian captain was struggling with cramps, which might have led to her getting out. With 80 runs needed in the last 10 overs, the match was tightly balanced. Deepti Sharma looked strong during her 17-ball innings of 24 runs, hitting crisp sweep shots that kept the scoreboard moving. However, a mix-up with Jemimah resulted in her being run out, giving Australia a glimmer of hope.
Jemimah stood strong, bringing up her first World Cup century off 115 balls—this was her third hundred of the year. Richa Ghosh quickly picked up the pace, hitting a big six against the threatening Megan Schutt. Jemimah was given another chance when Tahlia McGrath dropped her on 105 runs off Sutherland’s delivery. To add to Australia’s woes, Richa got a boundary through third man in the next over and followed it up with another huge six against Ashleigh Gardner. With 34 runs needed off the final five overs, India was slightly ahead while Australia needed to pull off something remarkable to keep their hopes alive.
Sutherland struck again to dismiss Richa, who posed a threat with her 26 runs from 16 balls. However, Jemimah continued to lead the chase, hitting a four off Sophie Molineux to bring the required runs down to nearly a run a ball.
Taking full control of the game, Jemimah ended her innings not out with 127 runs off 134 balls, hitting 14 fours, and guided India to victory in 48.3 overs. Amanjot Kaur finished the match in the 49th over with two fours off Molineux, igniting cheers and celebrations as India celebrated a remarkable win.
