Jemimah Rodrigues’ unforgettable century powered India to a record chase and a historic World Cup final berth, stunning mighty Australia
It was a night when rainclouds threatened, nerves buzzed, and the roar from the DY Patil Sports Academy felt like a heartbeat. India walked in as the underdogs, a team that had scraped into the semifinals after finishing fourth in the group stage. And waiting for them was cricket’s fiercest force: Australia. Unbeaten. Unflinching. Unaccustomed to being challenged.
But sport has a funny way of reminding the world that reputations don’t win matches. Performances do.
Australia thundered their way to 338 in 49.5 overs, the highest ever total in a Women’s World Cup knockout game. It felt like they already had one foot in the final. After all, who chases 300-plus in a semifinal? Certainly not a team that had lost to the same opponent a week ago.
And then, Jemimah Rodrigues walked in.
Australia Rises—And So Does India
The Australian innings was explosive. A fiery century from Phoebe Litchfield set the tone. Ellyse Perry and Ash Gardner followed with blistering half-centuries. Indian bowlers toiled, fans sighed, and the scoreboard kept ticking in a way that felt like doom.
A mountain stood before India. And the drizzle around the stadium somehow mirrored Indian hearts—heavy, unsure, hopeful but scared to hope too much.
Then the chase began. Cautious. Calculated. And quietly courageous.
Jemimah Rodrigues: The Century That Rewrote Destiny
India rode on an unbeaten 127 from Rodrigues and an 89 from Harmanpreet to hunt down their target of 339 with nine balls to spare. Dropped earlier in the tournament, Jemimah Rodrigues didn’t walk out like someone looking for redemption. She walked out like someone writing a legacy.
At first, she nudged. Then she timed and hit elegantly, fiercely, and defiantly to a knock now etched in Indian cricket folklore: 127 not out. On a pitch that had already punished batters, she held her nerve. Dropped thrice (on 52, 83 and 106), she refused to yield.
After nervous moments (including a mis-cue from Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and a run-out of Deepti Sharma), India steadied themselves and rebuilt the chase. The crowd roared. India charged. The Thunder Down Under was silenced.
Why it Matters: Bigger Than the Match
This win ticks so many boxes:
It is the highest run-chase ever in the Women’s ODI World Cup knockout context.
Australia, the seven-time champions, unbeaten until now, have been dethroned.
India’s transformation: from fourth in the group stage, limping into the knock-out, to the final by sheer will.
This win will resonate for young girls watching, for the sport in India, and for the narrative that “giants can be toppled”.
What’s Next: Final Calling & Rain Watching
India will now face South Africa in the final on Sunday, once again at the DY Patil Stadium.
With weather hanging as a threat (the group-stage fixture at this venue was washed out), the overnight mood in Navi Mumbai buzzes: action in the final, or maybe even a reserve day spectacle. The script is set. The heroes are ready.
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