- The ICC Women's ODI World Cup semi-final saw the Indian women's cricket team triumph over the reigning champions, Australia
- Legendary cricketers such as Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli hail women in blue’s performance as unbelievable and unforgettable
On Thursday, the India women's cricket team made their way to the ICC Women's ODI World Cup final after beating the previous titleholders Australia in a record chase in the DY Patil Stadium at Navi Mumbai.
Jemimah Rodrigues led from the front, scoring an incredible 127 runs not out in 134 balls and the captain, Harmanpreet Kaur assisted with a stellar 89 runs in 88 balls.
They helped India chase the total of 339 runs to win by 5 wickets - the highest chase in Women's World Cup history - and secured a final against South Africa on Sunday.
Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian cricketing legend, said India approached the game "fabulous..." and gave a shout-out to contributions from Rodrigues, Kaur, Shree Charani, and Deepti Sharma.
The Indian innings lost two early wickets when Shafali Verma went for 10 and Smriti Mandhana went for 24 at a score of 47 for 2, however, Rodrigues and Kaur put India back on track when they combined for a stunning partnership of 167 runs for 3 wickets.
AB de Villiers, a former South African cricketer, also hailed India’s performance, calling it an “incredible chase” that ended Australia’s winning streak.
Gautam Gambhir, head coach of the Indian men's team, commented on social media, "'It isn’t over till it’s over! Fantastic performance, girls,"
Former cricketer Yuvraj Singh also praised the women’s team, stating, "Some wins are more than the numbers on the scoreboard, and this was one of them. @ImHarmanpreet under so much pressure showed the composure and leadership of a true captain, while @JemiRodrigues showed focus and determination for the innings of a lifetime."
He praised India for executing a flawless run chase against one of the greatest teams and also claimed the India vs. South Africa final guarantees a new World Cup champion.
Virat Kohli, an Indian cricket legend, admired the Indian women's team's remarkable effort in the ICC Women's World Cup semi-final against Australia, Virat added on the same post: "What an incredible display of perseverance, faith, and passion," and finished his post by congratulating the players on this impressive achievement.
Mithali raj - Nights like these remind you why you play this game. The belief, the fight, and the hunger to win - all came together tonight. Congratulations to #TeamIndia for a top-class performance against Australia and for booking a place in the World Cup final!
Ravichandran Ashwin added that “From being left out of the team earlier in the World Cup to taking your team to the final. Take a Bow Jemimah “
Dinesh karthik “India into the final. What a game. What a performance Jemimah Rodrigues - What an innings took the team past the finish line? The entire nation will be glued to their TVs this Sunday”
Sourav ganguly “Incredible stuff from the girls. How good they have become in last 5 years... One more to go... Just outstanding”
Deepti Sharma (24) and Richa Ghosh (26 off 16) also came through at the end and ensured that the intensity didn’t drop, with Amanjot Kaur completing the task with nine balls to spare.
The players dismissed Australia for 338 earlier, with Phoebe Litchfield scoring 119 and Ellyse Perry 77. This brought an end to Australia’s valiant winning streak and set up an enticing final between India and South Africa.
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