Jemimah Rodrigues struck a majestic century, the most important of her career, and with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur blasting 89 off 88 deliveries. India aced a stiff chase to dethrone Australia with a five-wicket win and set up a summit clash with South Africa in the ICC Women's ODI World Cup here on Thursday.
In one of the most memorable matches of her career, Rodrigues hammered an unbeaten 127 off 134 balls (14x4) and shared a 167-run partnership with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (89) as India reached 341/5 off 48.3 overs to overcome Australia's 338 all out in the second semifinal at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
India's chase of a mammoth target of 339 got off to a poor start as Shafali Verma lasted only five balls in the middle. Scoring 10 runs with two fours. Verma was drafted into the squad as a last-ditch replacement for the injured Pratika Rawal had an opportunity to make a sensational return to the squad in the all-important clash but could not stay longer at the crease.
Her opening partner and India's batting mainstay, Smriti Mandhana, scored a run-a-ball 24, given out by the TV umpire after Ultra Edge detected a faintest of faint edge behind to keeper Alyssa Healy on DRS review off Kim Garth, who claimed 2-29 in her first spell of five overs.
But the hosts found their saviours in Rodrigues, who came in to bat in the absence of Harleen Deol and made the most of the opportunity, and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur as they raised 167 runs for the second wicket partnership.
Jemimah, cut, drove and swept with aplomb while doing some hard running as she reached her fifty off 57 balls (8x4). She played some nice shots off the back foot but was not afraid of jumping out to reach the ball. A brilliant scoop off Kim Garth in the eighth over, boundaries off Annabel Sutherland, Sophie Molineux, Alana King and a late cut off Garth that bisected point and short-third were especially pleasing to the eye. She got a life when Alyssa Healy put down a sitter off King.
Harmanpreet played an able foil initially. The Indian captain reached her fifty off 65 balls (6x4). They built the innings steadily as India reached 189/2 in 30 overs to maintain their chances, as Australia were 193/2 at the same stage. Harmanpreet went on the offensive after reaching her fifty, hitting four more boundaries and two sixes.
With Jemimah and Harmanpreet going for their shots, India crossed the 200-run mark and soon inched closer to the asking rate, at one stage reaching 226/2, going past Australia's score at the same stage.
Harmanpreet's sensational 88-ball 89 ended when she was brilliantly picked by Ashleigh Gardner off Sutherland, miscuing an attempted pull as the ball held slightly off the surface.
Jemimah and Deepti Sharma added 38 runs for the fourth wicket partnership before the latter was run out, needlessly going for a tight single as India slipped to 264/3 in the 41st over.
Jemimah reached her maiden World Cup hundred off 115 balls, studded with 10 boundaries -- a brilliant knock by a player who had failed to score much in her first three matches and was dropped for one game. That she came back strongly to score a hundred in the semifinal of the World Cup against the defending champion speaks volumes for the class of the Mumbai batter.
Richa Ghosh hammered Megan Schutt for a big six, and Jemimah spanked Gardner for a four with a reverse as kept the chase going, needing 55 off 42 balls. She got another reprieve when Tahlia McGrath dropped a simple catch off a slower one by Sutherland. Ghosh blasted a six and four off Gardner to take 14 runs off the 45th over, leaving India needing 34 off 30 balls. Ghosh (26 off 16, 4x2, 6x2) then sliced a catch straight to backward point off Sutherland after adding 46 runs for the fifth wicket partnership.
Rodrigues struck a couple of crucial boundaries, two of them in a crucial 47th over bowled by Sutherland that cost 15 runs, India needing eight runs off 12 balls to win the match.
Brief scores:
Australia 338 all out in 49.5 overs (Phoebe Litchfield 119, Ellyse Perry 77, Ashleigh Gardner 63; N Shree Charani 2-49, Deepti Sharma 2-73) lost to India 341/5 in 48.3 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 127 not out, Harmanpreet Kaur 89, Richa Ghosh 26; Kim Garth 2-46, Annabel Sutherland 2-69) by five wickets.
Picture Courtesy: X/ ICC Cricket World Cup
