This was one of the most incredible ODI games of all time, and, make no mistake, the greatest victory in the history of Indian women’s cricket.
There will be no eighth ODI World Cup title for the Australians, after Jemimah Rodrigues played one of the all-time classic ODI innings, in one of the greatest games, to lead hosts India to the World Cup final against South Africa in Navi Mumbai in two days time.
Against the best team in women’s cricket, who posted a total of 338 around 22-year-old Phoebe Litchfield’s 93-ball 119 at the DY Patil Stadium, Jemimah orchestrated the highest successful chase in women’s ODI – beating the record 330 Australia had hunted down two weeks ago, against India – with an unbeaten 127 off 134 deliveries. It is the innings of her career, and the greatest in Indian women’s cricket.
Eight years ago, during the semi-final of the 2017 World Cup, Harmanpreet Kaur put herself on the global map with an audacious 171 not out as India beat the mighty Australian team led by Meg Lanning. But this, what Jemimah did, with plenty of help from Harmanpreet, was something else.
Because it came in a home semi-final, in front of a cricket-mad nation watching, in pursuit of a record target of 339, against the defending champions, who had not lost a match all tournament and who were looking like favourites for the World Cup.
And to think that 11 days prior, Jemimah was dropped for India’s match against England, which they lost by four runs. Sapped by the magnitude of the job at hand, and after entering India’s daunting chase in the record chase, Jemimah sank to her knees as soon as Amanjot Kaur hit the winning boundary. Thereon, the tears flowed as India’s saviour of the night was overcome by a wave of emotion.
The result sends Australia home empty-handed, following their first ODI World Cup loss since Harmanpreet’s team beat them in 2017. And it also means that we will have a first-time ODI World Cup winner on Sunday.
Australia had done tremendously to set themselves up for another World Cup final but dropping Jemimah on 82 and 106 proved costly. Her 167-run stand with captain Harmanpreet Kaur turned the axis of the match, before India won with five wickets and nine deliveries to spare.
Litchfield’s superb innings made her the youngest player to score a century at the World Cup, and there were fine contributions from veteran Ellyse Perry (77) and Ashleigh Garnder (63), but India still managed to bowl out Australia in 49.5 overs.
Set a record total to overhaul, India lost two wickets inside the Powerplay to give Australia early momentum. Kim Garth dismissed the returning Shafali Verma for 10 in the second over and then struck in the tenth over to get the in-form Smriti Mandhana excellently caught down the legside by Alyssa Healy.
At 59/2, India were in some bother but that’s when Harmanpreet walked out to the middle and forged the partnership of the match with Jemimah. Singles and doubles turned into boundaries – some audacious, courtesy Jemimah – and the pressure eventually told on Australia. Healy dropped Jemimah on 82 and then Tahlia McGrath spilled a chance on 106.
When Harmanpreet was out for 90 courtesy a fine running catch from Garnder, Australia had a window, but Jemimah found support from Deepti Sharma (24) and Richa Ghosh (26) as she crossed 100 and the target was whittled down. With India two runs from victory, Amanjot slapped the winning boundary into the offside to cue incredible scenes in the Indian camp.
From being dropped three games ago to scripting a childhood dream, 25-year-old Jemimah etched her name in cricket folklore with an exceptional innings.
