India Pulls Off Record-Breaking Run Chase to Stun Australia, Reach Women’s Cricket World Cup Final
India scripted history on Thursday with the highest successful run-chase in women’s One Day International (ODI) cricket, eliminating reigning champions Australia from the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in a high-stakes semi-final clash at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium.
Chasing a daunting 339 for victory, India pulled off a five-wicket win with nine balls to spare, led by a career-defining unbeaten 127 from Jemimah Rodrigues. The win sends the hosts into their first World Cup final since 2017, where they will face South Africa on Sunday at the same venue.
 |
| Jemimah Rodrigues soaks in emotions. Via: ICC |
Despite India losing both openers cheaply in the powerplay and suffering a wobble in the final overs, Rodrigues remained composed.
Supported late in the innings by Amanjot Kaur, who struck the winning boundary, the 23-year-old soaked in the roar of a packed stadium as she sank to the ground in tears.
“This feels like a dream,” Rodrigues said post-match.
“I cried every day during this World Cup. I was mentally struggling, but this was not about proving anyone wrong. I just wanted to take India through.”
The match had swung dramatically throughout. Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield had earlier set the tone with a blistering 77-ball century -- the fastest in a World Cup knockout match -- as the visitors posted 338/6, appearing to place one foot in the final.
But fielding lapses proved decisive. Australia dropped Rodrigues thrice -- the most costly in the 44th over when Tahlia McGrath spilled a regulation catch at mid-off.
Two overs later, Annabel Sutherland bowled a wide-filled 48th that leaked 15 runs and shifted the balance irreversibly in India’s favour.
Captain Alyssa Healy missed key opportunities behind the stumps, including a stumping off Harmanpreet when she was on 10, and a dropped catch of Rodrigues on 82 -- both off Alana King’s bowling.
With the defeat, Australia’s hopes of an eighth title were dashed in uncharacteristic fashion. The seven-time world champions -- long dominant in crunch fixtures -- unravelled under pressure in what is now being hailed as one of the greatest matches in women’s ODI history.
Rodrigues’ innings -- built on 115 deliveries and fuelled by a personal journey of self-doubt, exclusion, and redemption -- is already being compared to some of the finest in the format.
Eleven days ago, she had been dropped for India’s group-stage game against England. On Thursday, she delivered what may be remembered as the definitive performance of the tournament.
The victory not only secured India’s place in the final but ensured that a new name will be etched on the World Cup trophy for the first time since 2000.