Navi Mumbai, Oct 30 (IANS) India pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, chasing down a mammoth 339 to beat defending champions Australia by five wickets in the semifinal at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.
The victory, sealed at 341 for 5, was the highest successful run chase ever in an ODI World Cup knockout across both men’s and women’s cricket, surpassing New Zealand men’s 299 for 6 against South Africa in the 2015 semifinal.
With this win, India marched into their third Women’s World Cup final, having previously reached the summit clash in 2005 and 2017, while ending Australia’s 15-match unbeaten streak in World Cups, a run stretching 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 opted to bat first, looked set for another dominant performance as they posted 338 after a strong start. Phoebe Litchfield’s 119 anchored the innings, supported by Ellyse Perry’s 77 and Ashleigh Gardner’s late flourish of 63 off 45 balls.
Despite the heavy scoring, India’s bowlers fought back admirably, with Nallapureddy Shee Charani claiming 2 for 49 and Deepti Sharma taking 2 for 73 to restrict the Aussies from crossing the 350-mark.
In reply, India’s chase began on a shaky note as openers Shafali Verma (10) and Smriti Mandhana (24) fell early, leaving the side in trouble at 47 for 2. But Jemimah and Harmanpreet steadied the ship, rotating strike smartly and keeping the required rate under control.
Once the skipper was dismissed, vital cameos from Deepti Sharma (24), Richa Ghosh (26), and Amanjot Kaur (15 not out off 8) ensured India never lost grip of the chase. Amanjot struck the winning runs as Jemimah fell to her knees in tears, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the moment.
The numbers tell the story of a historic night for Indian cricket. The chase of 341 for 5 was not only the highest in Women’s World Cup history but also the highest successful run chase for India in Women’s ODIs, surpassing their previous best of 266 for 8 against Australia in Mackay in 2021.
In Women’s ODI World Cup knockouts, it eclipsed 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 alone, after overhauling 331 against Australia in Vizag and 259 against England in Southampton earlier this year.
Australia’s record-breaking streak came to a close, too. Their 15-match unbeaten run in World Cups — a sequence matched only once before between 1997 and 2000 — ended in Navi Mumbai, where India rewrote history.
The result also meant India’s total of 341 for 5 now stands as the highest successful run chase ever achieved by any team in an ODI World Cup knockout, men’s or women’s, ahead of New Zealand’s 299 for 6 against South Africa in 2015 and Australia’s 289 for 4 against New Zealand in the 1996 quarterfinal.
–IANS
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