Under the glowing lights of Navi Mumbai’s Dr DY Patil Stadium, India Women crafted a night that will live forever in the nation’s cricketing folklore. With every seat taken and every voice rising in unison, the hosts pulled off a monumental chase of 339 runs against the mighty Australia Women — sealing a five-wicket victory and marching into the 2025 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup Final.
The win not only ended Australia’s 15-match unbeaten streak in World Cups but also guaranteed a new world champion after 25 years. It was a performance built on courage, belief, and faith — the kind that transforms players into legends.
Asked to bat first, Australia showcased their trademark professionalism. Skipper Alyssa Healy fell early for 5 to Kranti Gaud, but young prodigy Phoebe Litchfield rose to the occasion, unfurling a spectacular 119 off 93 balls with 17 boundaries and 3 sixes. She found an able ally in Ellyse Perry (77 off 88), the two adding a commanding 155-run stand that placed Australia firmly in control at 180/2.
Brief accelerations from Beth Mooney (24 off 22) and Ashleigh Gardner (63 off 45) kept the innings surging, but India’s bowlers clawed their way back through sheer persistence. N Sree Charani’s 2/49 sparked the turnaround, while Radha Yadav, Amanjot Kaur, and Deepti Sharma chipped in at crucial moments. Australia’s push for 360 faltered, ending at 338 all out in 49.5 overs, their innings punctuated by three crucial runouts.
Chasing under lights in Navi Mumbai has always been tricky — but the script was waiting for its heroines. Shafali Verma (10) fell early, trapped lbw by Kim Garth, and Smriti Mandhana (24) departed soon after, leaving India wobbling at 59/2.
Enter Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur — the heartbeat of this chase. What followed was not just a partnership; it was poetry in motion, a 167-run stand built on understanding and resilience. Harmanpreet played with controlled aggression, hammering 89 off 88 balls, while Jemimah crafted the innings of her life — a serene yet steely 127 not out off 134.
For Jemimah Rodrigues, this night was deeply personal. Barely a year ago, she had been dropped from India’s World Cup squad despite being in form. The months that followed tested her faith, her confidence, and her spirit.
After the match, holding back tears, Jemimah opened up, “I want to thank Jesus, I could not do this on my own. I want to thank my mom, dad and coach and every single person who believed in me. It was really hard this last month, it feels like a dream and it still has not sunk in,” Rodrigues said during her Post Match Presentation.
She revealed that her promotion in the batting order came as a surprise — a decision made moments before she walked out to bat, “(On when she was told she would bat at three) Did not know I was batting at three. I was taking a shower, just told them to let me know. Five minutes before entering, I was told I was batting at three.”
But the focus, she said, was never on her personal score — it was about redemption and purpose, “Not about me, I wanted to win this match for India, and wanted to take this through (having lost crunch matches before). Today was not about my fifty or my hundred, about making India win. Everything that happened so far was a setup for this.”
Her voice wavered as she recalled the emotional toll of the past year, “Last year, I was dropped from this World Cup. I was in good form. But things kept happening back-to-back and could not control anything. I have cried almost every day through this tour. Not doing well mentally, going through anxiety. I knew I had to show up, and God took care of everything.”
As the innings unfolded, Jemimah leaned on her faith to stay calm, “Initially, I was just playing, and I kept talking to myself. Towards the end, I was just quoting a scripture from the Bible — to just stand still and that God will fight for me. I just stood there, and he fought for me.”
Every run, she said, was fueled by the crowd’s roar and the support of her teammates, “A lot inside me was left, but I was trying to stay calm. Seeing India win by five wickets, I could not stop myself. When Harry di came, it was all about one good partnership. Towards the end, I was trying to push myself but was not able to. Deepti spoke to me every ball and kept encouraging me. When I cannot carry on, my teammates can encourage me. Cannot take credit for anything, I did not do anything (on my own).”
And in the end, she paid tribute to the sea of fans who willed her on, “(On the crowd) Each and every member who chanted, cheered and relived, and for every run they were cheering that pumped me up.”
If Jemimah’s innings was about faith, Harmanpreet Kaur’s was about fortitude. The Indian skipper, visibly emotional after the win, called it one of the proudest moments of her life, “Very proud. I don’t have words to express myself. Feeling great, this time we have crossed that line which we have been working towards for so many years,” she said during her Post Match Presentation.
After years of heartbreak in semifinals and finals, Harmanpreet finally found the moment she had dreamed of, “(On what she said to the head coach after the win) We spoke to each other that we have done this because we have been working so hard. Both of us are really proud of this team. We have that trust that any player can win any match from any situation.”
Reflecting on the lessons from their earlier defeat to England, she highlighted the team’s growth, “Made a few mistakes but we have been learning from our mistakes. Today, we wanted everything to go in our favour in every situation and kept telling ourselves to be there for the team, and that worked for us. That day (against England) we realized we did not execute well. We were late by 2-3 overs, could have taken risks a few overs earlier and that cost us.”
This time, she said, the plan was clear — be calculated, be composed, and finish the job, “That is what we discussed, that we have to be calculative. Once you are out of the game, it is hard to come back. I know it is 50 overs but the last five overs is where you have to be very particular and calculative. We knew what we had to do in the same situation and we wanted to finish it before the 50th over.”
Harmanpreet also heaped praise on Jemimah for her composure under pressure, “She (Rodrigues) is someone who always wants to do well for the team. Always very calculative and wants to take responsibility. We always have that trust in her. Both of us had a good time on the pitch. Whenever we were batting, we were complementing each other and really enjoyed batting with her. She is always telling me we got five runs, seven runs, two balls left. That shows how involved she is. Amazed to see how she was thinking. Lots of credit to her, to hold her nerve and keep batting for the team.”
Even amidst celebrations, the captain’s focus had already shifted to the next challenge — the final, “(On reaching the final) One more game to go. Today, we all played well, happy with the result. But we have already started speaking about the next game, that shows how focussed we are and how keen we are to win the World Cup. Playing at home in the World Cup is special, and we want to give back to our fans and families. One more game to go and we will give it our best.”
And just like Jemimah, she reserved her final words for the fans who never stopped believing, “(On the crowd) We are not playing alone. They are with us, and every game, they are coming and pushing us. They have been amazing, even when we lost, we got messages that this World Cup is not done and we can change it. Entire country is with us.”
As Jemimah raised her bat and Harmanpreet lifted her arms in triumph, the crowd at DY Patil erupted in tears and joy. India had not just beaten Australia — they had conquered their doubts, their demons, and their past. This semifinal wasn’t merely a match; it was a declaration. A declaration that Indian women’s cricket has arrived — fearless, faithful, and ready to reign.
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