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Australia has been knocked out of the Women’s Cricket World Cup by India, who pulled off the greatest run chase in tournament history to win their semifinal.
India chased down 339 with nine balls to spare to win by five wickets, beating the record set by Australia against India in this World Cup only a few weeks ago.
India’s hero was Jemimah Rodrigues, whose unbeaten 127 steered her side to what seemed an improbable win.
Rodrigues was supported by her captain Harmanpreet Kaur (89), while late cameos from Deepti Sharma (24) and Richa Ghosh (26) helped get India over the line.
Harmanpreety Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues combined for a massive partnership in Navi Mumbai. (Getty Images: Pankaj Nangia)
Australia will forever rue two dropped catches late in the innings which offered Rodrigues crucial reprieves.
Alyssa Healy unfathomably put down the first when Rodrigues, on 82 at the time, top-edged a sweep shot gently to the centre of the wicket. Healy got two gloves to the ball, but somehow failed to hang on.
Rodrigues was then dropped again on 106 when a miscued drive burst through the hands of Tahlia McGrath at mid-off.
Her brilliant batting deserved some luck though, and Australia’s vaunted bowling attack was no match for her array of cuts and drives.
It was a tough day for bowlers on both sides, with Phoebe Litchfield setting the tone for Australia earlier in the match with a stellar innings of her own.
Litchfield combined with veteran Ellyse Perry for a mammoth 155-run partnership as Australia reached 338, bowled out with a ball remaining.
The 22-year-old Litchfield took just 77 balls to bring up her maiden World Cup ton, doing so by lofting Radha Yadav over mid-off for a boundary.
Litchfield smashed her first World Cup century against India. (Getty Images: Pankaj Nangia)
She was eventually dismissed for 119, bowled by Armanjot Kaur while attempting to ramp the medium pacer over the head of wicketkeeper Richa Ghosh.
From there, Australia’s innings faltered a touch, with Beth Mooney (24), Annabel Sutherland (3) and Perry (63) all falling in quick succession.
Vice-captain Tahlia McGrath came to the middle and injected some urgency into the Australian innings, striking 10 runs from her first four deliveries, but her innings came to an end when she was run out for 12 after being called through for an ill-advised single by Ash Gardner.
Gardner — who scored two centuries during the pool phase — dominated the back end of the Australian innings, dispatching four massive sixes before she too was run out for a bludgeoning 63 from 45 deliveries as Australia went on to lose its last three wickets for just two runs.
India will now play South Africa in Sunday’s World Cup final.
Look back at how the action unfolded in our live blog.
Key Events
Australia vs India World Cup semifinal live
Goodnight!
Well, not the result that Australia wanted.
But that was an excellent game of cricket won by a remarkable innings.
Jemimah Rodrigues goes down as the architect of the greatest chase in the history of women’s ODI’s.
From me and Dean, thank you for joining us and goodnight.
A major blow for Australia
For Australia, this is a crushing defeat.
Even though they faltered towards the middle of their innings, 338 seemed like a more than defendable total.
But, in the end, it wasn’t.
And as excellent as both Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues were, Australia was sloppy in the field and with the ball.
Not something you can say about this Australian side too often.
India wins by five wickets
What a moment.
Amanjot backs away and slashes Sophie Molineux through the off-side and in doing so completes the highest successful chase in the history of women’s ODIs.
The greatest moment in the history of the Indian women’s team, it’s a deserved, outstanding victory.
Amanjot Kaur struck the winning runs, but this chase was made possible by the most composed, remarkable innings you are ever likely to see.
Jemimah Rodrigues finishes on 127* from 134 deliveries.
She knew when to attack, when to hold her nerve, when to probe and when to poke. She rode her luck at times, but that was a defining knock if ever there was one.
A tearful Rodrigues is speaking at the post-match presentation.
“It was really hard the last few months, but this just feels like a dream, and it hasn’t sunk in yet,” Rodrigues says.
And it sounds like she knows just how momentous this result could be for women’s cricket in India.
“Today was not about my 50 or my 100, today was about making India win,” Rodrigues says.
“We’ve always lost in crunch situations and I just wanted to be there in the end to take us through.”
49th over: India needs eight runs to win
It is two shots away for India.
And now it’s just one!
Molineux serves up a full toss and Amanjot smashes it through the off-side for a boundary.
48th over: Sutherland to bowl out
23 runs from 18 deliveries.
That’s the equation for India.
It’s there for the taking for the tournament co-hosts.
Sutherland begins with a full one that Amanjot works to the on-side for a couple.
Wide! Not what Australia needs – but it’s a wonderful take by Healy down the leg side. That saved four.
Four! Jemimah Rodrigues picks the slower ball and has an age to ramp it over Healy for four!
It’s down to a run a ball!
And now it’s less than a run a ball! Sutherland sends another wide down the leg side.
Four! Rodrigues cuts to the off-side and it pierces the gap between point and cover.
And she works a single from the over’s penultimate ball.
Amanjot returns the favour.
47th over: Molineux into the attack
Shot! A poor, poor ball from Molineux. It’s short and wide with the field up on the offside. Jemimah Rodrigues cuts it through the circle and that’s four.
She proceeds to work a single to the on-side.
Armanjot takes guard.
Good ball from Molineux. Armanjot pushes it to mid off and that’s a dot.
The next one is straighter and Armanjot works it behind square for a single.
Another dot.
And another.
That’s over.
SUTHERLAND STRIKES!
Silence in Nava Mumbai.
Pace off and short from Sutherland.
Richa Ghosh is backing away and doing all she can to lift one over the point fielder on the circle.
But she can’t quite.
It’s a good catch from Kim Garth.
Game on…
46th over: Sutherland has another
This is India’s game to lose now.
Jemimah Rodrigues works a single and Richa Ghosh does the same.
It’s almost a run a ball required here now for India. Australia needs something.
Two more singles.
And another, deep into the off-side.
45th over: Gardner from around the wicket once more
The first ball of the over is a priceless, priceless dot for Australia.
The second is stopped on the long on boundary and it’s a single.
The third is a massive, massive six! That one was right in the arc and Ghosh dispatches Gardner over midwicket for a maximum.
Gardner overcorrects and is called for a wide.
Another boundary! Another sweep in front of square! India passes 300.
This over has really broken things open for India.
They now need just 34 from the last five overs.
44th over: Sutherland to bowl it
55 runs.
42 balls.
That’s the equation for India.
Annabel Sutherland charges in.
And her first ball is poor. Wide and full – it would’ve been called had Rodrigues not gotten something on it. No run.
Drop! Wow! Jemimah Rodrigues tries to go over mid-off but doesn’t get enough on it. Tahlia McGrath is backing up and settling underneath it but the ball flies through her fingers!
Four! Nothing is going right for the Aussies! This one is a thick outside edge, flying past Healy and to the boundary.
A single to end a painful over for the Australians.
43rd over: Gardner goes again
Four! Jemimah Rodrigues pulls out the reverse sweep and it’s a lovely shot – over the infield and to the rope.
The batters cross for a single.
Gardner has opted to go over the wicket to the right-handed Ghosh.
She fires a couple out wide, flirting with a wide call. But she gets away with two dots.
The third is too wide. Another run to the total for India.
Gardner straightens up for the final two balls of the over, from which the Indian batters prise a couple singles.
42nd over continued: Schutt has a couple more
Wide! Down the leg side.
Schutt will have to bowl another.
Six! And Australia pays for that extra delivery. Richa Ghosh strides down the pitch and hammers a massive six down the ground.
Jemimah Rodrigues tons up!
Rodrigues works the ball down the ground for a single and that is a wonderful century from the woman from Mumbai.
But the job’s not done yet and she knows it.
Hardly a celebration from Jemimah.
42nd over: Schutt goes again
And she’s bowling to Jemimah Rodrigues, who’s on 96.
The first ball of the over is shovelled deep into the legside for a couple.
She opens the face of the bat and runs the ball down backward of point for a single.
She moves to 99.
Richa Ghosh works a single to get off the mark.
DEEPTI SHARMA IS RUN OUT!
That is a massive moment in this game.
Deepti Sharma, who had been blazing the Australian attack to all parts, is run out.
Jemima Rodrigues works one to backward square leg, she sets off, but Sharma is on her heels.
The throw into Healy is good and the bails are off before Sharma is even in the frame.
A very poor run and an unnecessary wicket for India.
41st over: Gardner back into the attack
Woah, what a massive over this is.
If Gardner can keep things relatively quiet, Australia will feel a whole lot better about things moving forward.
India needs 82 runs from the final ten.
Deepti is sweeping hard for a single and Jemimah Rodrigues is working a run of her own.
Four! Sharma is low and sweeping and that’s four!
That’s even better from Deepti! But just a single through the covers.
40th over – Megan Schutt back into the attack
So Schutt will likely bowl out here. Her radar must be locked in from ball one.
Singles from the first two balls, the second involving a possible run out and a possible overthrow. None of the above, in the end.
Schutt is mixing up her pace smartly already, and is being backed up in the field. McGrath dives to save a boundary.
A couple of wides down the leg side don’t help though.
Beamer! That’s not going to help! The no ball is pulled away for a run, AND now India gets a free hit. Not good from Megan Schutt.
Deepti is caught on the long-off boundary from the free hit and takes a single. Could have been worse for Australia.
Chaotic over. Six from it. Ten to go.
39th over – King to bowl again
FOUR RUNS! Deepti charges at King and whacks her back over her head for four.
Molineux saves four at fine leg with an incredible diving stop. It’s one, but it could have been a boundary.
Eight from that over, a boundary and four singles.
India needs 90 from 66 balls.
38th over – Sutherland to bowl her seventh
FOUR RUNS! Deepti goes over midwicket with power, and that might break the shackles. Looks like she’s decided her eye is in.
Deepti tickles the next one around the corner for one.
A couple more singles make it seven from the over. Everyone is just taking a bit of a deep breath before we hit the climax of this semifinal.
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