2ND SEMI FINAL , AUSTRALIA W Vs INDIA W , NAVI MUMBAI , ICC WOMENS WORLD CUP 2025 HIGHLIGHTS : Rodrigues And Harmanpreet’s High Charged Chase Got India Into Final Of Womens World Cup 2025 .
Jemimah Rodrigues delivered a career-defining performance, smashing a magnificent hundred as India achieved a historic run chase to secure their place in the Women’s World Cup 2025 final with a five-wicket victory over title holders Australia in Navi Mumbai on Thursday. Rodrigues steered the chase expertly with an undefeated 127 from 134 balls, while captain Harmanpreet Kaur contributed a vital 89 from 88 deliveries as India successfully pursued 339 – the most demanding target ever in an ODI World Cup elimination match. Deepti Sharma (24) and Richa Ghosh (26) provided valuable support as India reached their target with nine deliveries remaining. They will meet South Africa in the championship match. Rodrigues And Harmanpreet’s High Charged Chase Got India Into Final Of Womens World Cup 2025 .
TOSS
Australia Women won the toss and chose to bat first
PLAYING XI
India Women :
Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Amanjot Kaur, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh(w), Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur
Australia Women :
Phoebe Litchfield, Alyssa Healy(w/c), Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt
AUSTRALIA WOMEN
After choosing to bat first, Australia made an encouraging beginning through Litchfield, who found four boundaries within the opening five overs while Healy found it difficult to settle into rhythm. The Australian skipper received a lifeline when her Indian counterpart dropped a chance off Renuka Singh in the third over. However, this miss didn’t prove expensive as Healy fell for 5 from 15 balls, dragging a Kranti Gaud delivery back onto her stumps. Play was briefly interrupted due to rain, but once resumed, Litchfield maintained her attacking approach to guide Australia to 72/1 after 10 overs.
Perry provided solid partnership from the opposite end and successfully overturned an lbw decision through DRS in Renuka’s over. Litchfield reached her half-century in 45 deliveries with a boundary off Shree Charani, then launched a six off the left-arm bowler in her following over while Perry cleared the boundary off Deepti as both players targeted the spin bowlers. Litchfield appeared to be dismissed caught while attempting a sweep shot, but television replays showed it was a bump ball, enabling the opener to continue batting. She maintained steady boundary scoring, including three consecutive fours in Radha Yadav’s over, as the partnership reached three figures in 86 balls. Australia surpassed 150 in the 23rd over, and in the next over, Litchfield achieved her first World Cup hundred with a boundary off Shree Charani.
Australia had surged to 159 for 1 at the midpoint and Litchfield received another fortunate moment when Ghosh couldn’t hold a difficult chance in Amanjot’s over. She followed with two maximums in a Deepti over before her excellent knock concluded when Amanjot bowled her while she attempted a lap sweep. Perry, who played second fiddle to Litchfield during their 155-run partnership where the centurion scored 102, completed her fifty from 66 balls. Beth Mooney also started aggressively, adding to India’s troubles, who also squandered a review, as Australia crossed 200 in the 32nd over. The dangerous alliance was broken by Shree Charani when she dismissed Mooney at extra cover and quickly followed up by removing Annabel Sutherland (caught & bowled) to spark India’s comeback.
Australia endured a boundary-less stretch spanning five overs until Gaud returned to bowl, despite having leaked 49 runs from her initial five-over spell. Perry managed to find the fence with a four, but soon fell victim to Radha’s bowling when attempting a risky late cut shot. This dismissal marked a significant shift for Australia, who had looked comfortable at 220/2 but suddenly found themselves struggling at 243/5.
McGrath opened her account with consecutive boundaries off Radha during the 40th over, pushing Australia beyond the 250-mark. However, her innings was cut short by a run-out in the following over.
India’s fielding performance proved disappointing, highlighted by an unnecessary throw from Radha that resulted in four extra runs through overthrows. Gardner stepped up to restore Australia’s dominance, launching several boundaries and maximums off both Shree Charani and Radha while racing to a quick fifty. She added two more sixes off Radha’s bowling before falling to a run-out during the second-last over. Deepti delivered an economical final over, claiming the scalps of Alana King and Sophie Molineux, while Kim Garth also departed via run-out. Despite these late wickets, Australia posted an imposing total after accumulating 85 runs in their final 10 overs.
INDIA WOMEN-
India’s run chase started encouragingly when Shafali Verma, stepping in for the injured Pratika Rawal, launched her innings with a pair of boundaries. However, her return to action was brief, lasting only until she scored 10 runs before Kim Garth trapped her leg-before-wicket in the second over. Smriti Mandhana initially found scoring difficult but broke her shackles by launching Garth for a six, with Jemimah Rodrigues adding a four in the same over. The partnership between Mandhana and Rodrigues flourished as they consistently found the boundary and established a solid foundation. Their progress was halted when the left-handed Mandhana was caught behind down the leg side off Garth’s bowling, appearing stunned that she had nicked the ball, leaving India at 59/2 after 10 overs.
Rodrigues accumulated runs at a steady pace while Harmanpreet Kaur began cautiously and received a fortunate reprieve when Alyssa Healy failed to complete a stumping chance. The two batters established a solid partnership, finding regular boundaries at crucial moments, pushing India beyond 100 runs in the 18th over. When the 25th over concluded, Rodrigues had surpassed fifty with a boundary off King, while Harmanpreet was also locating the rope consistently as their stand grew beyond 100 runs. The Indian skipper then achieved her 65-ball half-century and launched her first maximum over extra cover against McGrath, taking India to 189 for 2 after 30 overs.
Harmanpreet’s second six arrived courtesy of Ashleigh Gardner when she dispatched it over midwicket, and India reached 200 in the 32nd over, mirroring Australia’s first-innings tempo. Healy dropped a difficult opportunity in Garth’s over before spilling a straightforward catch off King – giving Rodrigues two lives after entering the 80s. Harmanpreet swiftly joined the 80s club and moved ahead of Rodrigues, while Australia wasted a review during this period. However, the partnership concluded with Gardner’s spectacular catch after Harmanpreet pulled Sutherland’s delivery toward deep midwicket. Rodrigues and Deepti Sharma then steered India beyond 250 in the 40th over, with the former approaching a century as the target reduced to 82 from 60 balls.
Deepti was forming a promising partnership with Rodrigues when an attempted quick single led to her run-out. Rodrigues subsequently completed a 115-ball century, Richa Ghosh joined the attack with a six off Megan Schutt, and Rodrigues found the boundary off Gardner to reduce the requirement to 55 from 42 deliveries. Rodrigues enjoyed another slice of fortune when Tahlia McGrath dropped a catch in Sutherland’s over, while Ghosh edged one to the boundary in the same over. The wicketkeeper-batter followed up with a six and four off Gardner, propelling India past 300 in the 45th over with 34 needed from 30 balls remaining. The duo added 46 runs rapidly before Ghosh, attempting to clear the inner circle, was dismissed by Sutherland for 26.
Requiring 29 from 24 balls, Rodrigues found a vital boundary off Molineux, though the spinner maintained pressure otherwise, allowing just 6 runs. Rodrigues executed a clever lap shot for four off Sutherland, bringing the equation to 15 from 15 balls, then split the field to cut another boundary. With 8 required from 12 deliveries, Amanjot Kaur struck a four followed by a double off Molineux. She sealed victory with a cut shot to the fence as India achieved a memorable semifinal triumph, guaranteeing a new World Cup champion.
Brief scores:
Australia 338 in 49.5 overs (Phoebe Litchfield 119, Ellyse Perry 77, Ashleigh Gardner 63; Shree Charani 2-49) lost to India 341/5 in 48.3 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 127\*, Harmanpreet Kaur 89\*; Kim Garth 2-46) by 5 wickets.