Jemimah Rodrigues scored a scintillating century on home soil as India beat defending champion Australia by five wickets to reach the final of the Women’s Cricket World Cup on Thursday.
Rodrigues scored 127 not out off 134 balls, hitting 14 fours, to rally the chase home. Co-hosts India thus set up a title clash with first-time finalist South Africa at the same venue Sunday.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur scored 89 off 88 balls as the third-time finalists scored 341-5 in 48.3 overs — a record chase in Cricket World Cup knockouts, men’s or women’s.
This was after Australia won the toss and opted to bat, putting up a tall score on the board — 338 runs in 49.5 overs.
Phoebe Litchfield scored 119 off 93 balls, but her century went in vain as the seven-time champions were stopped just short of the final.
“It was really hard these last four months, not being part of the team setup," said Rodrigues, who was named player of the match.
"I didn’t know I was batting at three today, but I was happy to do the job for my team. Today was not about my century, it was all about getting India into the final. It feels like a dream and hasn’t sunk in yet.”
The defeat ended Australia’s 16-match unbeaten run in the tournament stretching back to 2022.
A new Women’s World Cup champion will be crowned — both India and South Africa are yet to lift the trophy.
Rodrigues-Kaur partnership fuels India’s record chase
India had never chased a 200-plus total in tournament history previously, and its highest successful chase against Australia was 265 in 2021.
It was a tall order from the start, as freshly inducted Shafali Verma fell for 10 runs. It was 59-2 as Smriti Mandhana was out caught for 24 off Kim Garth in the 10th over.
Rodrigues and Kaur then came together, and put on a record 167 runs for the third wicket. It was India’s highest partnership against Australia in World Cups — for any wicket.
Kaur took her time setting in, scoring 50 off 65 balls, while Rodrigues got 50 off 57 balls. It was a second half-century for Kaur in this tournament, while Rodrigues crossed 50 for the second consecutive innings.
Their stand took India past 200 and set it up for the highest chase in Women’s Cricket World Cup history. It was aided by some sloppy fielding from the defending champions.
Alyssa Healy dropped Rodrigues in the 33rd over — a simple skier spilled next to the pitch. She survived again, as Tahlia McGrath dropped Rodrigues in the 44th over again.
Kaur sped up after her 50, scoring 39 off the next 23 balls. Overall, she hit 10 fours and two sixes, but was caught in the deep. Annabel Sutherland provided the breakthrough in the 36th over, with Ashleigh Gardner taking a fine catch diving forward.
Deepti Sharma didn’t let the momentum slip — she scored 24 off 17 balls. At the other end, Rodrigues hit her third ODI century off 115 balls but didn’t celebrate at all. She became only the second batter to score a hundred in a Women’s World Cup knockout.
Those celebrations were reserved for the end — she hit 24 runs off the next 19 balls to take pressure off Amanjot Kaur (15 not out off eight balls) as India romped into a home World Cup final.
A target of 339 was the tallest chase in tournament history, surpassing Australia’s 331-run chase against India at Visakhapatnam earlier in the league stage.
It was also India’s second highest score against Australia, after it scored 369 runs in Delhi past September in the build-up to this tournament.
Australia has now lost two out of six semifinals in Women’s Cricket World Cups — both against India.
Litchfield sets up Australia’s innings
Earlier, Phoebe Litchfield scored her third ODI hundred after Healy was dismissed for five runs.
Litchfield put on 155 off 133 balls with Ellyse Perry, who scored 77 off 88 balls. The opener got to 50 off 45 balls.
It was a first half-century of the tournament for Perry, while Litchfield rallied on towards a first World Cup hundred off 77 balls. She scored her second 50 off only 32 balls — overall, Litchfield hit 17 fours and three sixes.
Australia seemed on course for a near-400 total while the duo was at the crease. Amanjot Kaur got the breakthrough in the 28th over, bowling the centurion.
It pulled back momentum for India and it struck at regular intervals to peg back the defending champions.
Gardner hit 63 off 45 balls, with four sixes, to prop up the lower-middle order after Radha Yadav had bowled Perry in the 40th over. Left-arm spinner Shree Charani picked 2-49 in 10 overs.
“We didn’t finish off well with the bat and dropped all our chances in the field," said Healy, the Australian skipper. “But we still hung in till the penultimate over, so we can take something from that. Ultimately we were outdone in the end.”
Courtesy: AP/UNB
Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque
