Jemimah Rodrigues’ unbeaten 127 led India to a historic five-wicket win over Australia in the Women’s World Cup semifinal. Chasing 339, she anchored the innings with captain Harmanpreet Kaur (89) to seal India’s spot in the final vs South Africa.
Team India batter Jemimah Rodrigues grabbed the spotlight with her brilliant century knock in the Women’s ODI World Cup Semifinal clash against the defending champions, Australia, at the DY Patil Sports Academy Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday, October 30.
The Women in Blue sealed the final berth with a five-wicket victory over Australia and set up the title clash with South Africa. With a 339-run target, Team India chased it down with nine balls to spare or in 48.3 overs, with Jemimah Rodrigues leading the chase with an unbeaten scintillating knock of 127 off 134 balls. Harmanpreet Kaur played a captain’s innings of 89 off 88 balls.
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Apart from Jemimah and Harmanpreet, Deepti Sharma (24), Richa Ghosh (26), and Amanjot Kaur (15*) played valuable cameos down the order to maintain India’s momentum and ensure the chase stayed on track.
Jemimah Rodrigues’ Knock for Ages
Jemimah Rodrigues has emerged as the star performer with the bat as her century knock kept India on track to chase down the 339-run target. Walking in to bat after opener Shafali Verma’s dismissal at 13/1, Jemimah seemingly had only one goal in her mind – to anchor the innings and take India home. Her body language exuded calm and confidence, even under immense pressure.
Rodrigues was hoping for a commanding partnership with her ‘best friend’, Smriti Mandhana (24), but the latter’s controversial dismissal dashed those hopes early. However, India’s momentum was gained when Jemimah Rodrigues was joined by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. The pair frustrated the Australian bowling attack to such an extent that the usually composed Aussie fielders showed signs of pressure.
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Jemimah and Harmanpreet stitched a massive 167-run partnership for the third wicket, putting India’s chase firmly back on track before India skipper’s dismissal at 226/3. After Harmanpreet’s dismissal, the onus of chasing down the target was completely on Jemimah Rodrigues. But the 25-year-old was unperturbed by pressure, anchoring the rest of the chase with maturity and a calm temperament.
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Jemimah was in a great rhythm and took the advantage of two lifelines she received after her catches were dropped. There was hardly any sign of pressure on the Mumbai cricketer’s face as she anchored the innings with composure. While batting on 99, Jemimah Rodrigues ran a single off Meghan Schutt’s delivery to complete her century, but she did not celebrate as she knew the job was not done.
Jemimah Rodrigues’ 38-run partnership with Deepti Sharma for the fourth wicket and the 36-run stand for the fifth wicket with Richa Ghosh took the pressure off her, as invaluable contributions from the middle-order ensured India’s momentum was maintained and the chase was on track.
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After Ghosh’s dismissal at 310/5 and India needed 29 off 24 balls to win the semifinal, the pressure was on Jemimah again. However, the young batter remained resolute and unshakable as she brilliantly marshaled the final phase of the chase, alongside an unbeaten 31-run stand with Amanjot Kaur, and struck crucial boundaries to ensure India successfully chased down the target.
Jemimah’s Innings to be Remembered for a Long Time
As soon as Amanjot Kaur hit the winning four, Jemimah Rodrigues broke down in tears as the magnitude of the achievement washed over her. Getting a big opportunity to prove her case as a big match-winner, Jemimah finally delivered when it mattered the most.
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Jemimah’s unbeaten 127-run knock was not just a match-winning innings but also showcases her intent, temperament, and approach that define a true champion. The knock was hailed by cricket fans and enthusiasts, who were quite impressed by her composure, maturity under pressure, and rising to the occasion when she was needed the most by her team.
Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), the netizens could not keep calm as they showered Jemimah Rodrigues with immense praise and adulation, calling it ‘one of the greatest knocks’ in the history of Women’s ODI World Cup.
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Now, Team India has inched closer to clinching their maiden Women’s ODI World Cup triumph. From the verge of an early exit after three losses on the trot in the league stage to bouncing back with a victory over New Zealand, and eventually defeating the mighty Australians in the semifinal, the Women in Blue’s journey has been nothing short of inspirational.
India’s remarkable turnaround has reignited the nation’s hopes, setting the stage for an epic title clash against South Africa in the Women’s World Cup 2025 final.