India Stun Australia With Record Chase to Enter Women’s World Cup Final

Navi Mumbai: In one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the history of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup, India stunned defending champions Australia by chasing down a massive 339-run target to win by five wickets in the semifinal at the DY Patil Stadium on Thursday. The thrilling victory, sealed at 341 for 5, marked the highest successful run chase ever in a World Cup knockout match across both men’s and women’s cricket, surpassing New Zealand’s 299 for 6 against South Africa in the 2015 men’s semifinal.
With this win, India advanced to their third Women’s World Cup final after making it to the title clashes in 2005 and 2017. The result also brought an end to Australia’s 15-match unbeaten streak in World Cups, a dominant run that had continued since 2022.

The hero of the night was Jemimah Rodrigues, who delivered a masterful unbeaten 127 — her maiden World Cup century and third ODI ton overall. Promoted to number three moments before walking in, Jemimah played with composure and class, anchoring the innings and guiding India to a record-breaking triumph. Her partnership with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored a fluent 89, proved decisive. Together, they added 167 runs for the third wicket — the highest partnership ever against Australia in Women’s World Cup history and India’s best in a knockout match. Their stand eclipsed the previous Indian record of 137 between Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma from the 2017 semifinal in England, while also ending Australia’s dominance over major knockout partnerships, all of which previously belonged to Australian pairs.

Australia, who opted to bat first, appeared to be in control after posting a daunting 338. Phoebe Litchfield led the charge with a well-compiled 119, while Ellyse Perry’s 77 and Ashleigh Gardner’s quickfire 63 off 45 balls powered them to a formidable total. However, India’s bowlers fought back valiantly in the later stages. Nallapureddy Shee Charani claimed 2 for 49, while Deepti Sharma took 2 for 73, ensuring the Australians did not cross the 350-run mark.

India’s chase began on a shaky note as openers Shafali Verma (10) and Smriti Mandhana (24) fell cheaply, leaving the team struggling at 47 for 2. But Jemimah and Harmanpreet steadied the innings with maturity, rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries to keep the required rate within reach. When Harmanpreet fell, short cameos from Deepti Sharma (24), Richa Ghosh (26), and Amanjot Kaur (15 not out off 8) ensured that the momentum never slipped. Amanjot struck the winning runs as Jemimah sank to her knees, overwhelmed by the scale of the achievement as her teammates rushed to embrace her.

The numbers highlighted the magnitude of India’s feat. Their total of 341 for 5 became the highest successful chase in Women’s World Cup history and their best-ever in ODIs, surpassing the previous record of 266 for 8 against Australia in Mackay in 2021. It also eclipsed England’s 221 for 8 against South Africa in the 2017 semifinal and Australia’s 181 for 1 against South Africa in the 2000 semifinal.

Remarkably, this was India’s third successful 300-plus chase in 2025 alone, following their victories while chasing 331 against Australia in Vizag and 259 against England in Southampton earlier this year.
For Australia, the defeat brought their record-breaking 15-match unbeaten run to an end. For India, it was a night of belief, courage, and redemption — a performance that combined calm execution with fearless intent. As fireworks lit up the Navi Mumbai sky, India’s women had not only booked a place in the World Cup final but also rewritten the record books, proving once again that no target is beyond reach when determination meets destiny.