Jemimah Rodrigues scored a stunning 127 not out as India chased down 339 to beat Australia by 5 wickets in the Women’s World Cup semi-final. Historic win sends India to final.
In the history of Indian cricket, Thursday night in Navi Mumbai will be remembered as the pivotal moment.
India defeated defending champions Australia by five wickets after chasing down 339, the most successful chase in Women’s World Cup history, thanks to an unbeaten 127 off 134 balls from Jemimah Rodrigues. With the victory, India advances to their third World Cup final, where they will play South Africa on Sunday.
This wasn’t just a win. This was India ending Australia’s 16-match unbeaten streak in ODI World Cups. At this point, Indian women’s cricket made its public debut on the biggest stage. Amanjot Kaur’s winning boundary sent the sold-out crowd at DY Patil Stadium into a frenzy.
The Unachievable Goal That Wasn't
Australia batted first and put up a monster total. Phoebe Litchfield scored 119 off just 93 balls – becoming the youngest player ever to score a World Cup century at age 22. Ellyse Perry added 77, Ashleigh Gardner smashed 63, and suddenly Australia had 338 on the board.
For context, no team had ever successfully chased more than 331 in a Women’s World Cup knockout match. Australia themselves set that record earlier in this tournament against… wait for it… India.
So the Aussies had history on their side, home crowd pressure on India, and their usual aura of invincibility in World Cup knockouts. They’d won 15 straight ODI World Cup matches coming into this semifinal.
India needed something special. They got Jemimah Rodrigues.
How the Chase Actually Happened
India started terribly. Shafali Verma was out for 10 in the second over, trapped LBW by Kim Garth. Smriti Mandhana made 24 before nicking one to keeper Alyssa Healy. At 59-2 after 10 overs, Australia was in full control.
Then Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur came together and completely changed the game.
They put on 167 runs for the third wicket – India’s highest partnership ever against Australia in World Cups. It was batting at its finest. Rodrigues reached her fifty off 57 balls. Harmanpreet got there in 65 balls. Both started slow, weathered the storm, then opened up.
Harmanpreet was brutal once she got going. She hit two massive sixes – one an 82-meter bomb over midwicket off Ashleigh Gardner that had the crowd roaring. She finished with 89 off 88 balls before being caught in the deep trying to accelerate even more.
But Rodrigues just kept going. She reached her century off 115 balls and barely celebrated. Just a quiet chat with Richa Ghosh at the other end. She knew the job wasn’t finished.
What This Means for the Patriots Moving Forward
The Patriots aren’t done at the deadline. According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, they’re expected to keep both selling and buying.
Positions they might target on offense: running back (Antonio Gibson tore his ACL) and potentially wide receiver depth.
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That’s what good coaches do. They build their team their way, not try to force-fit players into roles they’re not suited for.
Australia's Costly Mistakes
Australia had their chances to win this game. They blew them.
The biggest moment came in the 33rd over when Rodrigues was on 82. She skied straight up. Alyssa Healy, one of the best keepers in the world, dropped it. Just… dropped it. A relatively simple chance right next to the pitch.
India needed 131 runs off 106 balls at that point. If Healy holds that catch, Australia probably wins.
Then Tahlia McGrath dropped Rodrigues again in the 44th over. At that point, the writing was on the wall.
“We didn’t finish off with the bat, didn’t bowl that great, and dropped all our chances in the field,” Australian captain Healy said after the match. “We did this to ourselves.”
She’s right, but that’s brutal honesty. Despite dominating much of the game, Australia was unable to win it when it counted.
The Final Push
After Harmanpreet fell, India still needed runs. Before being run out, Deepti Sharma came on and smashed 24 off 17 balls. In her quick 26, Richa Ghosh hit two fours and two sixes.
Rodrigues maintained his composure. With 14 fours and zero sixes, she ended the game with 127 not out. It was an innings built on timing, placement, and running between wickets – not power hitting.
When Amanjot Kaur hit the winning boundary with nine balls to spare, Rodrigues sprinted to her, lifted her up, then lay down on the pitch. Teammates swarmed her. The crowd went insane.
India had just completed the highest successful chase in Women’s World Cup knockout history. Against Australia. At home. To reach the final.
