The Indian women's cricket team delivered a historic performance, defeating defending champions Australia by five wickets in the semi-finals of the Women's ODI World Cup 2025. With this victory, India not only broke Australia's unbeaten streak but also secured their spot in the final.
Sports News: The Indian women's cricket team put an end to defending champions Australia's winning streak, defeating them by five wickets in the semi-final. Australia, batting first, scored 338 runs in 49.5 overs. In reply, India's Jemimah Rodrigues scored a century and forged a memorable 167-run partnership for the third wicket with captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Powered by this brilliant duo, India achieved victory by scoring 341 runs for five wickets in 48.3 overs, securing their place in the final.
As India hit the winning boundary, the match's hero, Jemimah Rodrigues, became emotional, and tears of joy welled up in her eyes. With this victory, India broke Australia's unbeaten run and advanced to the final, where they will face South Africa on Sunday, who defeated England in the second semi-final.
Australia's Explosive Innings — Litchfield's Century
In the semi-final match, Australia won the toss and elected to bat first, scoring 338 runs in the allotted 49.5 overs. The team had a brilliant start. Young batter Phoebe Litchfield played an excellent innings of 119 runs, setting a new record as the youngest batter to score a century in a World Cup knockout match against India. She completed her century in 77 balls.
Alongside her, Ellyse Perry also contributed 77 runs, and together they built a 155-run partnership for the second wicket. The Litchfield-Perry duo kept the Indian bowlers under pressure. However, Amanjot Kaur broke this partnership by dismissing Litchfield, after which India made a comeback into the match.
For Australia, Ashleigh Gardner played a brisk innings of 63 runs, while Beth Mooney (24) and Annabel Sutherland (3) were dismissed early. Deepti Sharma delivered a brilliant bowling performance, taking two wickets in the final over to restrict Australia's innings to 338 runs in 49.5 overs. Besides her, Sri Charan got two wickets, while Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, and Kranti Gaur each claimed one success.
India's Shaky Start, but Jemimah and Harmanpreet Take Charge
Chasing a target of 339 runs, the Indian team's start was not as expected. Opener Shafali Verma was dismissed for 10 runs off Kim Garth's bowling. Soon after, Smriti Mandhana also returned to the pavilion after scoring 24 runs. India was under pressure after the quick dismissals of both openers, but captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues changed the course of the match with a magnificent partnership.
The duo forged a historic 167-run partnership for the third wicket, which is India's highest partnership for any wicket in a Women's World Cup knockout match. This broke the previous record of a 137-run partnership between Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma in the 2017 semi-final.
Harmanpreet Kaur played a captain's knock of 89 runs off 88 balls, which included 10 fours and two sixes. She fell just 11 runs short of a century. Annabel Sutherland broke the partnership by getting her caught by Ashleigh Gardner.
Jemimah's Brilliance — Stood Till the End and Secured Victory
Even after Harmanpreet's dismissal, Jemimah Rodrigues did not give up. She batted responsibly and guided the team to the target. Jemimah scored an unbeaten 127 runs off 134 balls, including 14 fours. This was her highest score in her ODI career. She hit the winning boundary in the last over, taking India to the final.
For India, Richa Ghosh (26 runs), Deepti Sharma (24 runs), and Amanjot Kaur (unbeaten 15 runs) also made valuable contributions. India chased down the target with five wickets in hand in 48.3 overs, defeating Australia, the best team in the tournament.
Jemimah's Emotions and Celebrations in the Indian Dressing Room
Jemimah Rodrigues was chosen as the Player of the Match for her outstanding performance. After the match, she became emotional and couldn't hold back her tears. Captain Harmanpreet said, “We knew that both patience and confidence were essential to defeat a team like Australia. Jemimah showed what a champion player should possess.” India's coach also described this victory as historic, stating that it was the result of the team's collective hard work.
The Indian women's team has reached the ODI World Cup final for the third time. Previously, India reached the finals in 2005 and 2017 but could not win the title. This time, the team has a golden opportunity to make history. The Australian team was unbeaten in this tournament until now, but India halted their victorious march here. In the group stage, Australia had defeated India, but Harmanpreet's team made a b comeback in the semi-final.
India will now face the South African women's team in the final, who secured their spot by defeating England for the first time. The match will be played on Sunday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
