Jemimah Rodrigues struck a remarkable unbeaten century as India completed a record chase to claim a stunning five-wicket victory over Australia and reach the Women’s World Cup final.
Set 339 to win after a superb hundred from Australia opener Phoebe Litchfield, India held their nerve in a mammoth pursuit, with Rodrigues and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur leading the way in a brilliant 167-run partnership.
Harmanpreet fell for 89 with 113 still needed, but Rodrigues remained resolute, reaching her hundred from 115 balls. She was there at the end as India sealed the highest successful chase in women’s one-day international history — with nine balls to spare.
Rodrigues was in tears as the India players streamed onto the field after Amanjot Kaur struck the winning runs in front of a delirious home crowd, setting up a final against South Africa on Sunday.
This game in Navi Mumbai will go down as an instant classic. With the defending champions eliminated, there will be a new name on the trophy this weekend.
It could all have been so different had Australia taken their chances. A missed stumping gave Harmanpreet a reprieve on 10, while a simple catch was dropped to spare Rodrigues on 82. Australia captain and wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy was the guilty party both times, with Alana King the unlucky bowler.
Both batters made the most of their good fortune, timing the chase to perfection. Rodrigues showed intent from the start, while Harmanpreet gradually built her innings after the openers fell during the powerplay.
After Harmanpreet’s dismissal, Rodrigues was again let off when Tahlia McGrath dropped a straightforward chance at mid-off.
While Australia can point to costly errors, it is the brilliance of Rodrigues — and her all-time great World Cup innings — that will live longest in memory.
When Rodrigues walked out to meet incoming batter Harmanpreet in the 10th over, India had a mountain to climb. An excellent Australian review had dismissed Smriti Mandhana, caught behind down the leg side, taking the shine off India’s promising start.
From that moment until she sank to the turf in tears once victory was sealed, Rodrigues was a picture of calm. With her captain slow to get going, she took the initiative superbly.
The 25-year-old right-hander raced to 75 at a run-a-ball, striking 10 boundaries before switching roles once Harmanpreet found her rhythm. While her captain powered on, Rodrigues went 15 overs without a boundary — between the 28th and 43rd — yet remained composed, making only one mistake in that period.
An ill-advised sweep off King sent the ball high into the leg side, with Healy and the bowler converging before the wicketkeeper dropped the simplest of catches. The moment was reminiscent of Herschelle Gibbs’ infamous drop of Steve Waugh in the 1999 World Cup — though Rodrigues, ever composed, showed no sign of gloating.
Instead, she refocused and rediscovered her free-scoring form. With the support of Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, and finally Amanjot Kaur, she ensured the chase didn’t come down to the wire.
Heading into the final as India’s hero, Rodrigues’ turnaround is nothing short of redemption. Dropped after two early ducks in the tournament, her unbeaten 127 has now etched her name into World Cup folklore. Should India triumph on Sunday, she and her teammates will take their place among the country’s cricketing immortals.
Few would have predicted such an outcome at the halfway stage. Australia appeared in control after posting a commanding total on a good batting surface. Yet, there was a sense that the seven-time champions had left runs on the field after faltering late in their innings.
Litchfield, who had endured a quiet tournament until now, was superb from the outset. While Healy — returning from injury — struggled to find rhythm, Litchfield attacked relentlessly, racing to a 77-ball hundred.
Fifteen of her 17 fours and all three sixes came on the off side, with 85 per cent of her runs scored there. Even without her leg-side contributions, she would still have reached three figures.
However, her efforts ultimately proved in vain as Australia collapsed from 220-2 to 265-6, then lost their last four wickets for just seven runs. Three careless run outs compounded their woes, turning what could have been a match-winning 375 into a vulnerable 338 all out (BBC Sport)
