India defeated defending champions Australia by five wickets in a thrilling ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 semifinal on October 29-30, 2025, at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. This was a record-breaking performance, as India successfully chased down 339 runs — the highest successful chase in women’s one-day international cricket history.
Australia’s Innings
Australia batted first and scored 338 runs in 49.5 overs. Key contributions included Phoebe Litchfield’s impressive 119 runs off 93 balls, making her the youngest player to score a century at a World Cup at just 22 years old. Ellyse Perry added 77 runs and Ash Gardner contributed 63 runs. India’s Deepti Sharma was particularly effective with the ball, claiming 2 wickets for 73 runs and taking three wickets in the final over.
Rodrigues and Harmanpreet’s Stellar Performance
Jemimah Rodrigues delivered the match-winning innings of her career, scoring an unbeaten 127 runs off 134 balls with 14 fours. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur complemented this with a vintage 89 runs off 88 balls, including 10 fours and 2 sixes. The duo forged a crucial third-wicket partnership of 167 runs that proved instrumental in India’s successful chase.
Rodrigues faced significant challenges during her innings, surviving two dropped catches — one when she was on 82 and another at 106 — but maintained her composure throughout. Despite these opportunities, Australia could not capitalize, with Alyssa Healy responsible for missing both catch chances.
Historic Achievement
India’s 341-5 in 48.3 overs marked a watershed moment in women’s cricket, surpassing all previous successful run chases in World Cup history. Amanjot Kaur hit the winning runs in the third ball of the 49th over, triggering emotional celebrations as both Rodrigues and Harmanpreet broke down in tears after the victory.
Road to the Final
This victory eliminated the seven-time champion Australia and secured India’s place in the Women’s World Cup final against South Africa on Sunday in Navi Mumbai. The match has been remembered as a classic encounter that showcased the excellence of women’s cricket and will be etched in cricket history for years to come.
