Finance
India staged one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, chasing down a massive 339 to defeat defending champions Australia by five wickets in the semifinals at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium on Thursday.
The victory, sealed at 341 for 5, was the most successful run chase in an ODI World Cup knockout in both men’s and women’s cricket, surpassing New Zealand’s 299 for 6 against South Africa in the 2015 semifinal.
With this victory, India advanced to their third Women’s World Cup final, having previously reached the summit battle in 2005 and 2017, while also ending Australia’s 15-match unbeaten record in World Cups, which dated back to 2022.
The night belonged to Jemimah Rodrigues, who produced an innings for the ages with an unbeaten 127, her maiden World Cup hundred and third ODI ton overall. Promoted to number three just minutes before walking in, she anchored India’s chase to perfection, guiding the side to a record-breaking triumph.
Alongside skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who struck a fluent 89, Jemimah built a monumental 167-run partnership for the third wicket — the highest stand against Australia in Women’s World Cup history and India’s best-ever in a knockout fixture.
The partnership surpassed the previous Indian record of 137 between Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma from the 2017 semifinal in England, while also breaking Australia’s monopoly on 150-plus stands in knockout matches, with all five prior such partnerships belonging to Australian pairs, including the 155-run stand between Ellyse Perry and Phoebe Litchfield earlier in the day.
Australia, having chosen to bat first, appeared to be on track for another dominant performance, scoring 338 following a solid start. Phoebe Litchfield’s 119 set the tone for the innings, which was complemented by Ellyse Perry’s 77 and Ashleigh Gardner’s late flourish of 63 off 45 balls.
Despite the high score, India’s bowlers responded excellently, with Nallapureddy Shee Charani collecting 2 for 49 and Deepti Sharma taking 2 for 73 to keep the Australians from reaching 350.
In response, India’s chase got off to a rough start when openers Shafali Verma (10) and Smriti Mandhana (24) fell early, putting the team at 47 for 2. But Jemimah and Harmanpreet kept the ship stable, rotating strike smartly and keeping the desired rate under control.
After the skipper was dismissed, crucial contributions from Deepti Sharma (24), Richa Ghosh (26), and Amanjot Kaur (15 not out off 8) ensured India never lost control of the chase. Amanjot scored the winning runs as Jemimah collapsed on her knees in sobs, overcome by the magnitude of the moment.
The figures tell the story of a historic night in Indian cricket. The chase of 341 for 5 was not just the most in Women’s World Cup history, but also India’s biggest successful run chase in Women’s One-Day Internationals, surpassing their previous best of 266 for 8 against Australia in Mackay in 2021.
In the Women’s ODI World Cup knockouts, it outperformed England’s 221 for 8 against South Africa in the 2017 semifinal and Australia’s 181 for 1 against South Africa in the 2000 semifinal. It was also India’s third successful 300-plus chase in 2025, following 331 against Australia in Vizag and 259 against England in Southampton earlier this year.
Australia’s record-breaking streak also ended. Their 15-match unbeaten record in World Cups, which had previously only been matched between 1997 and 2000, came to an end in Navi Mumbai, as India rewrote history.
The result also meant that India’s total of 341 for 5 is now the highest successful run chase by any team in an ODI World Cup knockout, men’s or women’s, surpassing New Zealand’s 299 for 6 against South Africa in 2015 and Australia’s 289 for 4 against New Zealand in the 1996 quarterfinal.
Source: IANS
