Navi Mumbai: Jemimah Rodrigues played the greatest innings of her life and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur slammed a fine half-century as India recorded the highest successful ODI chase by any team ever to beat Australia by five wickets and storm into the ICC Women’s World Cup final at the DY Patil Stadium, here on Thursday.
Jemimah’s match winning 127 in 134 balls helped India achieve what at one stage seemed almost improbable after losing the wicket of Smriti Mandhana (24) and Shafali Verma (10) early.
Harmanpreet’s solid 89 was the perfect foundation that helped Jemimah consolidate and take India to a winning position from where they eventually won at 341/5 in 48.3 overs. Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma also chipped in with useful and timely knocks to help India pull off an incredible victory after Australia had posted 338 in 49.5 overs.
Earlier, Shafali Verma went early leg before to Kim Garth as India’s chase of 340 was off to a rocky start at 13/1. In-form Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues had to rebuild from scratch with a mountain ahead of them.
India suffered a huge setback when they lost their trump card Mandhana caught down legside off Kim Garth after Australia reviewed a wide call and DRS showed a nick.
Thereafter, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah steadied the ship as they put on a 167-run partnership.
Harmanpreet reached her fifty in the 29th over as the third-wicket partnership chugged along at 6.29 runs per over.
Earlier, in the 30th over, the India captain tonked Harmanpreet for a six that gave a new life to the gargantuan chase as India reached 189/2.
A well-settled Jemimah was dropped on 82 in the 33rd over by Healy in what was a regulation catching opportunity.
Just when it seemed India had a sniff in the game, Harmanpreet holed out to Ashleigh Gardner off Annabel Sutherland for 89 as the Aussies game right back into the game after breaking the 167-run partnership.
A needless run-out in the 41st over cost Deepti her wicket as India began to feel the pressure of the mounting required rate which was hovering above eight.
Jemimah’s scintillating hundred came in the 42nd over off 115 balls with 10 fours as she kept India’s faint hopes alive.
She got a reprieve in the 44th over when Tahlia McGrath dropped a catch at mid off running backwards as India’s hopes stayed alive.
Richa Ghosh slammed her second six as India closed in on Australia’s target needing 41 off 33 balls.
After 45 overs, India were at 305/4, needing 34 runs to win in 30 balls and the match in their grasp.
Jemimah was on 111 and Richa on 24 at that point. When Richa was out for 26 caught at backward point by Kim Garth off Sutherland, Australia still believed while India were a tad nervous.
Meanwhile, riding on a whirlwind century from Phoebe Litchfield and timely half-centuries from Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner, Australia posted a massive 338 in 49.5 overs.
Litchfield’s 119, Perry’s 77 and Gardner’s 63 were the turbo-charged knocks that powered Australia to 339, although at one stage they seemed to be heading for a total well in excess of 350.
The Indian spinners were the chief wicket-takers as they scalped six wickets between them with Shree Charani and Deepti Sharma claiming two apiece. Amanjot Kaur and Radha Yadav bagged one each.
Kranti Gaud saw the back of Alyssa Healy early in the innings while three run outs also contributed to India’s cause.
At the start of the game, Australia players wore black armbands prior to the start of the game to pay tribute to 17-year-old Melbourne cricketer, who passed away on Tuesday night following an accident while batting at the nets.
