Jemimah Rodrigues powers India past Australia into Women’s Cricket World Cup final

Jemimah Rodrigues scored a scintillating century on house soil as India beat defending champion Australia by 5 wickets to succeed in the ultimate of the Ladies’s Cricket World Cup.

Rodrigues scored 127 not out off 134 balls, hitting 14 fours, to rally the chase house. Co-hosts India thus arrange a title conflict with first-time finalist South Africa on the similar venue on Sunday.

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur scored 89 off 88 balls because the third-time finalists scored 5-341 in 48.3 overs — a file chase in Cricket World Cup knockouts, males’s or ladies’s.

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This was after Australia gained the toss and opted to bat, placing up a tall rating on the board — 338 runs in 49.5 overs.

Phoebe Litchfield scored 119 off 93 balls, however her century went in useless because the seven-time champions had been stopped simply wanting the ultimate.

“It was actually onerous these final 4 months, not being a part of the crew setup,” mentioned Rodrigues, who was named participant of the match.

“I didn’t know I used to be batting at three right now, however I used to be joyful to do the job for my crew. Right this moment was not about my century; it was all about getting India into the ultimate. It seems like a dream and hasn’t sunk in but.”

The defeat ended Australia’s 16-match unbeaten run within the event, stretching again to 2022.

A pivotal second within the match got here when Rodrigues survived a dropped catch on 82 by Aussie skipper Alyssa Healy, who failed to carry on to the ball along with her wicketkeeping gloves off Alana King.

“We didn’t end off properly with the bat and dropped all our possibilities within the subject,” mentioned Healy.

“However we nonetheless hung in until the penultimate over, so we are able to take one thing from that. Finally, we had been outdone in the long run.”

A brand new Ladies’s World Cup champion might be topped — each India and South Africa have but to elevate the trophy.

Rodrigues-Kaur partnership fuels India’s file chase

India had by no means chased a 200-plus whole in event historical past beforehand, and its highest profitable chase towards Australia was 265 in 2021.

It was a tall order from the beginning, as freshly inducted Shafali Verma fell for 10 runs. It was 2-59 as Smriti Mandhana was out caught for twenty-four off Kim Garth within the tenth over.

Rodrigues and Kaur then got here collectively and placed on a file 167 runs for the third wicket. It was India’s highest partnership towards Australia within the World Cups, for any wicket.

Kaur took her time settling in, scoring 50 off 65 balls, whereas Rodrigues obtained 50 off 57 balls. It was a second half-century for Kaur on this event, whereas Rodrigues crossed 50 for the second consecutive innings.

Their stand took India previous 200 and set it up for the very best chase in Ladies’s Cricket World Cup historical past. It was aided by some sloppy fielding from the defending champions.

Healy dropped Rodrigues within the thirty third over — a easy skier spilled subsequent to the pitch. She survived once more, as Tahlia McGrath dropped Rodrigues within the forty fourth over once more.

Kaur sped up after her 50, scoring 39 off the following 23 balls. Total, she hit 10 fours and two sixes, however was caught within the deep. Annabel Sutherland offered the breakthrough within the thirty sixth over, with Ashleigh Gardner taking a nice catch diving ahead.

Deepti Sharma didn’t let the momentum slip — she scored 24 off 17 balls. On the different finish, Rodrigues hit her third ODI century off 115 balls however didn’t have a good time in any respect. She turned solely the second batter to attain 100 in a Ladies’s World Cup knockout.

These celebrations had been reserved for the top — she hit 24 runs off the following 19 balls to take stress off Amanjot Kaur (15 not out off eight balls) as India romped into a house World Cup remaining.

A goal of 339 was the tallest chase in event historical past, surpassing Australia’s 331-run chase towards India at Visakhapatnam earlier within the league stage.

It was additionally India’s second-highest rating towards Australia, after it scored 369 runs in Delhi final month within the build-up to this event.

Australia has now misplaced two out of six semi-finals in Ladies’s Cricket World Cups — each towards India.

Earlier, Phoebe Litchfield scored her third ODI hundred after Healy was dismissed for 5 runs.

Litchfield placed on 155 off 133 balls with Ellyse Perry, who scored 77 off 88 balls. The opener obtained to 50 off 45 balls.

It was a first-half-century of the event for Perry, whereas Litchfield rallied on in direction of a primary World Cup hundred off 77 balls. She scored her second 50 off solely 32 balls — general, Litchfield hit 17 fours and three sixes.

Australia appeared heading in the right direction for a near-400 whole whereas the duo was on the crease. Amanjot Kaur obtained the breakthrough within the twenty eighth over, bowling the centurion.

It pulled again momentum for India, and it struck at common intervals to peg again the defending champions.

Gardner hit 63 off 45 balls, with 4 sixes, to prop up the lower-middle order after Radha Yadav had bowled Perry within the fortieth over. Left-arm spinner Shree Charani picked 2-49 in 10 overs.