Bat, will and wonder: Jemimah and Harmanpreet steer India past Australia into World Cup final
Navi Mumbai: Hail the new rock star of Indian cricket — Jemimah Rodrigues. At the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday night, the 25-year-old Mumbaikar showed style and swagger as she smashed the Aussie attack for an individual score of 127, propelling India into the ICC Women’s World Cup (ODI) final.
A five-wicket win for the hosts was truly against all odds, considering the strength of the Australian side. Call it will, call it skill — the way Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur and the bundle of energy that is Jemimah planned the great chase left the audience with jaws agape. The odds were stacked against India, as the Aussies are dangerous and fierce fighters. Yet what stood out was the resolve of the Indian women — conquering pressure and proving they have come of age on the big stage.
Mumbai hosted two big shows tonight: one, a concert by Enrique Iglesias, and the other, a cricket spectacle. For India to come out firing after Australia posted 338 runs in 50 overs was extraordinary. For those who believed the total was massive and unchaseable, it took self-belief, skill, and the courage to take the fight deep.
Hats off to Harmanpreet Kaur, the skipper, who led from the front. She may have looked shaky as captain during India’s fielding innings, but with the bat in hand, she was a delight to watch — crafting an innings rich in every way. To stay at the crease, face 88 balls, and score 89 runs was defining. She started slow but then accelerated — proof of which lay in her 10 boundaries and two sixes. More importantly, the way she stitched together a partnership with Jemimah — full of spunk and confidence — was a joy to witness.
The stands were packed to the rafters. Boys, girls, men, and women had all turned out in large numbers to cheer the Women in Blue. They knew their cricket — staying silent when they needed to and cheering at the right moments. This was crucial, as the decibel levels inside the arena were electrifying.
Amidst all this, Jemimah stood like the Rock of Gibraltar. She showed temperament and character in her defining knock against a seasoned Australian attack. Where the battle was won for India, almost single-handedly, Jemimah displayed poise and the willingness to play not for herself but for her country. When she reached her century, she did not celebrate — she focused instead on the job still unfinished. There were a few quick dismissals at the other end, including Deepti Sharma, who fell after showing promise. Earlier, Australia’s innings was built on the brilliance of Phoebe Litchfield, who produced a dazzling 119 off just 94 balls to lay the foundation for a formidable total. The 22-year-old left-hander combined elegance with aggression, striking 17 fours and three sixes in a knock that kept India under pressure for most of the first innings. Her 155-run partnership with the experienced Ellyse Perry (77) for the second wicket gave the seven-time champions a commanding platform. Perry’s innings, marked by composure and timing, featured six boundaries and two sixes as she deftly rotated strike while punishing loose deliveries. Later, Ashleigh Gardner (63 off 52) accelerated the scoring in the final phase before Australia were eventually bowled out for 338, one ball short of their full quota. Despite a strong start, Australia’s lower order faltered under tight Indian bowling at the death, missing the chance to push the total beyond 350.
India’s bowlers, though initially wayward and burdened by a few missed chances in the field, showed discipline in the later overs to keep Australia within reach. Young seamer Shree Charani turned the tide with a crucial spell of 2 for 9 in her final three overs, removing Beth Mooney (24) and the dangerous Annabel Sutherland (3) just when Australia looked set for a late surge. Deepti Sharma bowled with guile in the middle overs to check the run flow, while Amanjot Kaur’s dismissal of Litchfield came at a vital juncture to break Australia’s momentum. Renuka Singh and Pooja Vastrakar applied pressure with accurate yorkers and slower deliveries at the death, ensuring Australia managed only 56 runs in the last ten overs. The collective effort by India’s bowlers, especially after a blistering start by the Aussies, laid the foundation for Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur to script the unforgettable chase that followed.
The required run rate may have looked steep, but for once, India showed how passion under pressure could turn the tide. To put the Aussies on the back foot was rare — yet they fumbled in their bowling and fielding. The atmosphere was like a cauldron, and in it, Jemimah was the warrior — running hard, showing cheeky game awareness, and executing strokes that flummoxed the Australians. Her 127 runs included 14 boundaries, highlighted by reverse sweeps and audacious shot-making that revealed her command of the field. For Jemimah, born and raised in Mumbai, to deliver such a class act in Navi Mumbai has made her larger than life. This is a landmark day for women’s cricket — a celebration of Nari Shakti in its truest form. Often ridiculed for inconsistency, Jemimah’s rhapsody in this semi-final will silence her critics. To dump Australia by five wickets is a massive feat.
This was cricket’s own version of Chak De!, undoubtedly.
