Jemimah Rodrigues struck an unbeaten 127 and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur hammered a fluent 89 as India pulled off a stunning five-wicket win over seven-time champions Australia in the Women’s World Cup semifinal at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, on Thursday.
Chasing a daunting 339, India reached 341 for 5 in 48.3 overs — the highest successful run chase ever in a World Cup knockout across men’s and women’s cricket.
Rodrigues’ majestic 127 not out off 134 balls, laced with 14 boundaries, was her maiden World Cup ton and anchored one of India’s greatest ODI wins. She shared a record 167-run stand with Harmanpreet for the third wicket, steering India from 59/2 to the brink of victory.
‘It Feels Like a Dream’ – Jemimah’s Magical Night
I want to thank Jesus, my parents and my coach — I couldn’t have done this alone. It feels like a dream. I didn’t even know I’d be batting at three — I was in the shower when they told me!”
Her partnership with Harmanpreet was the highest for any team against Australia in World Cup history, surpassing India’s previous best of 137 between Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma in 2017.
Harmanpreet: ‘We Finally Crossed That Line’
A visibly emotional Harmanpreet hailed her team’s grit after years of near-misses in crunch matches.
Very proud — I don’t have words. This time we crossed that line we’ve been working towards for so many years. After the England game, we spoke about being calculative and finishing strong — and today it all came together.
Litchfield’s Century in Vain as India Fight Back
Australia, opting to bat first, piled up 338 thanks to opener Phoebe Litchfield’s sublime 119, Ellyse Perry’s 77, and Ashleigh Gardner’s explosive 63 off 45 balls. Litchfield dominated early, hitting 17 fours and three sixes in a 155-run partnership with Perry.
But India’s bowlers, led by N Shree Charani (2-49) and Deepti Sharma (2-73), kept their composure to prevent Australia from breaching 350.
Australia’s Healy: ‘Outdone in the End’
Skipper Alyssa Healy admitted her side had faltered in key moments.
Good contest in the end. We did it to ourselves a little bit — didn’t finish with the bat well, dropped chances, and didn’t bowl great. Ultimately, outdone in the end.
India March into Third Final
With this victory, India entered their third Women’s World Cup final — after 2005 and 2017 — ending Australia’s 15-match unbeaten streak in the tournament. They will now face South Africa in the final.
Brief Scores: Australia 338 all out in 49.5 overs (Phoebe Litchfield 119, Ellyse Perry 77, Ashleigh Gardner 63; N Shree Charani 2-49, Deepti Sharma 2-73) India 341/5 in 48.3 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 127*, Harmanpreet Kaur 89, Richa Ghosh 26; Kim Garth 2-46, Annabel Sutherland 2-69). Result: India won by 5 wickets.
