India defeated defending champions Australia by five wickets in the semifinal at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday, pulling off one of the biggest comebacks in the history of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup. They had to chase down a massive 339.

With a total score of 341 for 5, the triumph surpassed the New Zealand men’s 299 for 6 against South Africa in the 2015 semifinal, making it the most successful run chase in the history of both men’s and women’s ODI World Cup knockouts.

This victory ended Australia’s 15-match World Cup winning streak, which dates back to 2022, and propelled India into their third Women’s World Cup final. India had previously advanced to the summit event in 2005 and 2017.

Jemimah Rodrigues (Jem’ of the Game) stole the show this evening with an undefeated 127, her first World Cup century and third ODI century overall. She led the team to a record-breaking victory and anchored India’s chase to perfection after being promoted to number three just minutes before stepping in.

Jemimah formed an incredible 167-run partnership for the third wicket with captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who hit a smooth 89. This partnership is the greatest in Women’s World Cup history against Australia and the best India has ever had in a quarterfinal match.

After a solid start, Australia, who chose to bat first, appeared poised for another outstanding showing as they posted 338. Ashleigh Gardner’s late burst of 63 off 45 balls and Ellyse Perry’s 77 helped to bolster Phoebe Litchfield’s 119, which served as the innings’ anchor.

India’s bowlers put up a valiant fight in spite of the high score, with Nallapureddy Shee Charani taking 2 for 49 and Deepti Sharma taking 2 for 73 to keep the Australians from surpassing 350.

Beyond their previous best of 266 for 8 against Australia in Mackay in 2021, the chase of 341 for 5 was not just the highest in Women’s World Cup history but also the most successful run chase for India in Women’s ODIs.

Additionally, Australia’s record-breaking run came to an end. In Navi Mumbai, India rewrote history as their 15-match World Cup winning streak came to an end. This stretch was only matched once previously, between 1997 and 2000.

As a result, India’s 341 for 5 total now stands as the most successful run chase ever by any team in a men’s or women’s ODI World Cup knockout, surpassing both Australia’s 289 for 4 against New Zealand in the 1996 quarterfinal and New Zealand’s 299 for 6 against South Africa in 2015.

Rodrigues, who won Player of the Match for her undefeated 127, “I want to thank Jesus first. I couldn’t have carried it alone.The past six months have not been easy. I have been crying every day since I was eliminated from this World Cup last year. I was experiencing anxiety. All I needed to do was show up each day, and God saw me through.I knew I was batting at three five minutes prior, It was about bringing India home, not about proving myself. It wasn’t about my fiftieth or my hundred today. The goal was to win for India“.

“Amazing victory for our girls! I’m wishing them luck in the final. The BCCI’s sustained support for women’s cricket promotion and the resolute support of former BCCI Secretary and current ICC Chairman Jay Shah, who saw the potential of women’s cricket in India, are responsible for this win,” IPL chairman Arun Dhumal said.

“The Indian women’s team deserves congratulations for their outstanding victory over Australia, which advanced them to the Women’s World Cup final. Excellent leadership and innings from Harmanpreet Kaur, as well as a fantastic century by Jemimah Rodrigues. It’s a proud moment for Indian cricket.”, BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla said on his X post.

Virat Kohli took to social media platform X to applaud the team’s efforts and wrote, “What a victory by our team over a mighty opponent like Australia. A great chase by the girls and a standout performance by Jemimah in a big game. A true display of resilience, belief, and passion. Well done, Team India!”

“Australia soch rahi thi ek aur semi-final hai, aaram se jeeto aur pahuncho Final- hamari ladkiyon ne socha yeh to mauka hai asli dhamaka karne ka! Saare criticism ko dho daala. Kya khel dikhaya. Proud of our women in blue,” Virender Sehwag posted on X.

“A match full of heart, fight and belief. Congratulations to our Indian women’s team for making it to the finals,” Rishabh Pant posted on X.

“Incredible chase by #TeamIndia to knock-out the Aussies and end their win streak. Just the perfect chase against the mightiest of oppositions. Congratulations! “It’s India v Proteas in the #CWC25Final once again. And we will have a new Champion,” Ab de Villiers posted on X.

Brief scores:

Australia 338 all out in 49.5 overs (Phoebe Litchfield 119, Ellyse Perry 77, Ashleigh Gardner 63; N Shree Charani 2-49, Deepti Sharma 2-73) lost to
India 341/5 in 48.3 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 127 not out, Harmanpreet Kaur 89, Richa Ghosh 26; Kim Garth 2-46, Annabel Sutherland 2-69) by five wickets.