The Indian women’s cricket team etched their name in the history books by defeating the seemingly invincible Australian side to reach the final of the Women’s ODI World Cup. Chasing a massive target of 339 runs, India pulled off a record-breaking victory to storm into the final.
In the semifinal held on Thursday (October 30) at the DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai, hosts India beat Australia by 5 wickets, knocking them out before the final.
Winning the toss, Australia opted to bat first and started aggressively. Phoebe Litchfield smashed a brilliant 119 off 93 balls, decorated with 17 fours and 3 sixes. Partnering her, Ellyse Perry scored 77 runs, while Ashleigh Gardner added a quickfire 63 off just 45 balls, taking Australia’s total to 338 runs.
However, even that mountain of runs couldn’t save Australia. In reply, India began their chase with great confidence. Jemimah Rodrigues played a stunning knock of 127 off 134 balls, featuring 14 boundaries, laying the foundation for victory. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur contributed a superb 89 off 88 balls, hitting 10 fours and 2 sixes. Towards the end, calm batting from Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma sealed the win for India with 5 wickets in hand.
This victory not only took India to the final, but also set a world record for the highest successful chase in women’s cricket history.
India will face South Africa in the final on Sunday. Earlier, South Africa defeated England by 125 runs in the first semifinal to book their place in the grand finale.
