Unstoppable India Women Storm to the Women's ODI World Cup Final as Jemimah Rodrigues' Ton Sinks Mighty Australia in Record Chase

The Indian Women's National Cricket Team pulled off a historic pursuit in spite of the odds!  An unforgettable run chase - the most successful chase in World Cup knockout matches for both men's and women's cricket - was witnessed by the Navi Mumbai crowd. In the Indian camp, there were hugs everywhere and tears in the eyes of Jemimah Rodrigues and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur.

Also Read - IND vs AUS Women's ODI World Cup Semi-final: If Rain Washes Out the Match, Which Team Goes to the Final? Navi Mumbai Weather Report

Finally, Australia's juggernaut has been stopped.  Their most recent loss in an ODI World Cup was to India in 2017, and India ends their undefeated-run once more.  With this outcome, either South Africa or India will be declared the new champion on Sunday, 2nd of November.

Opening batter Shafali Verma was dismissed early in the chase without having much of an impact with the bat, and Smriti Mandhana, who was in fine form, was also unable to make a substantial contribution. That put a lot of pressure on Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who put up a strong 167-run partnership. While Harman took her time settling in after a scratchy start full of dot balls, Rodrigues appeared occupied from the beginning. Together, they made sure that the Women in Blue remained in the hunt the entire time and that the necessary run rate never went out of control.

The dismissal of Harmanpreet Kaur gave Australia a glimmer of hope, but Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma's pivotal cameos kept the pursuit well on course.  Without two reprieves given to Jemimah Rodrigues, first on 82 by Alyssa Healy and then on 106 by Tahlia McGrath, things might have turned out quite differently.  You would bet on both of them to grab those opportunities because they were very simple ones.  In a number of knockout matches, particularly against Australia and even earlier in the tournament against England in Indore, India has been guilty of letting pressure get to them.  However, Jemimah took charge this time to make sure the game didn't go deep and led India home with poise and command.

Australia had previously won the toss, but they were dealt a blow early on when Alyssa Healy was dismissed. Despite the loss, Phoebe Litchfield stayed composed and took the lead with Ellyse Perry, who started out carefully before settling into a groove as the innings went on.  Their 155-run stand was led by Litchfield, who produced a fluid century that left India perplexed.  However, her removal gave the hosts the opportunity to control Australia's charge, which had been advancing without incident up until that point.  Although Perry and Ashleigh Gardner made significant contributions to maintain the innings' stability, Australia ultimately paid a price for leaving a few runs out there.

Must Read - How to watch India Women vs Australia Women Semi Final online for free | IND-W vs AUS-W Womens ODI World Cup Semi Final