Navi Mumbai: In one of the greatest run-chases in Women’s World Cup history, the Indian women’s cricket team defeated seven-time champions Australia by five wickets in a breathtaking ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Semi-Final. The monumental victory, sealed with nine balls to spare, propels India into the tournament final against South Africa.
The match at the DY Patil Stadium was an absolute batting spectacle, with Australia setting a daunting target and India responding with courage and class to pull off the improbable.
The Australian Power-Show
Winning the toss and electing to bat, Australia’s batting line-up, as expected, fired on all cylinders. Despite an early breakthrough, young opener Phoebe Litchfield anchored the innings with a magnificent, career-defining century, scoring 119 runs off just 93 balls—the fastest-ever hundred in a Women’s World Cup knockout match.
Supported by a composed Ellyse Perry (77) and an explosive late cameo from Ashleigh Gardner (63 off 45), the Aussies piled up a massive total of 338 all out—the highest score ever recorded in a Women’s World Cup semi-final. The target of 339 was a psychological mountain, demanding the highest successful run-chase in the history of Women’s ODIs.
Rodrigues and Kaur Rewrite History
India’s chase, however, was built on pure defiance. Despite losing openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana early, the middle-order pair of Jemimah Rodrigues and Captain Harmanpreet Kaur refused to back down.
Rodrigues, who has often been touted as a player for the big stage, played the innings of her life. She brought up a masterclass century, finishing unbeaten on a glorious 127 runs, crafted with a perfect blend of elegance and aggression. Her unwavering focus and ability to find gaps kept the required run-rate in check even as the pressure mounted.
She was brilliantly partnered by the skipper, Harmanpreet Kaur, who found her devastating best when it mattered most, smashing 89 runs. Their crucial 167-run partnership completely shifted the momentum, turning a seemingly impossible task into a realistic one.
A few quick wickets towards the end, including Kaur’s dismissal and a costly run-out of Deepti Sharma, momentarily brought Australia back into the game. But the cool head of Rodrigues, alongside a quick-fire burst from Richa Ghosh, ensured India crossed the finish line to spark emotional celebrations across the stadium.
In the end, India’s 341/5 stands as a testament to their fighting spirit, proving that sometimes, belief trumps pedigree. The victory dethrones the seemingly invincible Australian team and sets up a mouth-watering Final clash for India against South Africa.
🏏 ICC Women’s World Cup 2025: 2nd Semi-Final Scorecard
Match: India Women vs Australia Women
Venue: Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai
Result: India Women won by 5 wickets (with 9 balls remaining)
Player of the Match: Jemimah Rodrigues (India)
🇦🇺 Australia Women: 338/10 (49.5 Overs)
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs (Balls) | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| Alyssa Healy (c & wk) | b K Goud | 5 (15) | 0 | 0 | 33.33 |
| Phoebe Litchfield | b AB Kaur | 119 (93) | 17 | 3 | 127.96 |
| Ellyse Perry | b R Yadav | 77 (88) | 6 | 2 | 87.50 |
| Beth Mooney | c J Rodrigues b S Charani | 24 (22) | 3 | 0 | 109.09 |
| Annabel Sutherland | c & b S Charani | 3 (6) | 0 | 0 | 50.00 |
| Ashleigh Gardner | run out (R Ghosh / K Goud) | 63 (45) | 4 | 4 | 140.00 |
| Tahlia McGrath | run out (R Ghosh / J Rodrigues) | 12 (7) | 2 | 0 | 171.43 |
| Kim Garth | run out (R Ghosh / AB Kaur) | 17 (17) | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Alana King | c R Ghosh b D Sharma | 4 (4) | 1 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Sophie Molineux | b D Sharma | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Megan Schutt | Not out | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 100.00 |
| Extras | (b 0, lb 2, w 11, nb 0) | 13 | |||
| TOTAL | (All Out in 49.5 Overs) | 338 |
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
| Renuka Singh | 8.0 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 4.88 |
| Kranti Goud | 6.0 | 0 | 58 | 1 | 9.67 |
| Shree Charani | 10.0 | 0 | 49 | 2 | 4.90 |
| Deepti Sharma | 9.5 | 0 | 73 | 2 | 7.42 |
| Radha Yadav | 9.0 | 0 | 60 | 1 | 6.67 |
| Amanjot Kaur | 1.0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 14.00 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur | 0.5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3.60 |
🇮🇳 India Women: 341/5 (48.3 Overs)
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs (Balls) | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| Shafali Verma | lbw b K Garth | 10 (5) | 2 | 0 | 200.00 |
| Smriti Mandhana | c A Healy b K Garth | 24 (24) | 2 | 1 | 100.00 |
| Jemimah Rodrigues | Not out | 127 (134) | 14 | 0 | 94.78 |
| Harmanpreet Kaur (c) | c A Gardner b A Sutherland | 89 (88) | 10 | 2 | 101.14 |
| Deepti Sharma | run out (K Garth / A Healy) | 24 (17) | 3 | 0 | 141.18 |
| Richa Ghosh (wk) | c K Garth b A Sutherland | 26 (16) | 2 | 2 | 162.50 |
| Amanjot Kaur | Not out | 15 (8) | 2 | 0 | 187.50 |
| Extras | (b 4, lb 6, w 15, nb 1) | 26 | |||
| TOTAL | (5 Wkts in 48.3 Overs) | 341 |
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
| Megan Schutt | 9.0 | 0 | 69 | 0 | 7.67 |
| Kim Garth | 7.0 | 0 | 46 | 2 | 6.57 |
| Sophie Molineux | 6.3 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 6.77 |
| Annabel Sutherland | 10.0 | 0 | 69 | 2 | 6.90 |
| Alana King | 7.0 | 0 | 56 | 0 | 8.00 |
| Ashleigh Gardner | 9.0 | 0 | 52 | 0 | 5.78 |