Jemimah plays innings of her life

While Phoebe Litchfield gave the Indian bowlers a scare, it was Jemimah Rodrigues who had the final word, exacting sweet revenge with a sublime innings that turned the tide. Taking her time to settle, Jemimah erased every Indian misstep in the field and attack, guiding her team into the ICC Women’s World Cup final with a five-wicket victory over Australia — India’s highest-ever successful chase in tournament history, achieved with nine balls to spare, and fittingly against the defending champions.

India’s pursuit of 339 at the DY Patil Stadium became the tournament’s highest total by any side, thanks to Jemimah’s unbeaten 127 off 134 balls, laced with 14 boundaries. She spearheaded the counterattack alongside skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who struck 89 from 88 balls as the pair added 167 in 156 balls for the third wicket. Their partnership proved the turning point, rescuing India from a precarious 59 for 2. Despite a few dropped catches that cost Australia dearly, the Indian batters approached the chase with composure and confidence, driven by a belief befitting a World Cup semi-final. Barring the openers, the batting line-up contributed with assured intent before sealing the win in front of a packed home crowd.

Openers Shafali Verma (10) and Smriti Mandhana (24) got India off to a mixed start. Mandhana looked fluent until edging behind to Alyssa Healy. Once Jemimah and Harmanpreet took charge, however, they executed a tactically perfect partnership, rotating the strike smoothly, ensuring at least one boundary per over and laying the groundwork for India’s triumph. The decision to play Jemimah ahead of Harleen Deol proved inspired, as she shouldered responsibility maturely and carried her bat through the innings. She later found able support from Deepti Sharma (24 off 17), Richa Ghosh (26 off 16), and Amanjot Kaur (15 off 8), who finished the job.

Earlier, Australia’s batters had performed like champions, posting a formidable 339 courtesy of Phoebe Litchfield (119), Ellyse Perry (77), and Ashleigh Gardner (63). India’s bowlers and fielders struggled initially, with wayward spells and missed chances. Sree Charani (2 for 49) stood out for her control and discipline, stemming the run flow at a crucial juncture. Without her spell, Australia might well have crossed 350.

Phoebe Litchfield’s innings was a mirror of her previous best — 119 against India at the Wankhede Stadium in 2024 — though this time her score came off just 93 balls. On track for a career best, she was dismissed attempting a scoop against Amanjot Kaur. Earlier, Australian captain Alyssa Healy had a reprieve when Harmanpreet dropped a simple catch in the third over, but she fell soon after to Kranti Gaud, moments before a short rain delay. When play resumed, Phoebe resumed her assault, striking 17 fours and three sixes. Her 155-run partnership with Perry steadied Australia, while Gardner’s brisk 63 from 45 balls gave their innings a late flourish.

Among India’s bowlers, only Sree managed effective “damage control,” removing Beth Mooney (24) and Annabel Sutherland (3) to pull things back.