India’s World Cup semi-final hero Jemimah Rodrigues turned a night’s pressure into a clean sweep but credited her teammates for standing by her throughout. The 24-year-old, who endured a patchy patch and even risked being knocked out earlier in the tournament, made the cut for the ages against defending champions Australia. Her unbeaten 127 not only guided India to a five-wicket victory, but also led the team to the highest successful run chase in women’s ODI history, securing a place in the World Cup final.
Promoted to No. 3, Jemimah came early and played with remarkable composure. She first added 46 runs with Smriti Mandhana before a match-defining 167-run stand with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s highest run-scorer of the tournament. Together they dismantled the Australian attack but it was Jemimah who anchored the chase to the very end.
India vs Australia, Women’s World Cup
Speaking through tears at the post-match press conference, an emotional Jemimah reflected on her struggles, anxieties and the unwavering support of her teammates who helped her find her way back.
“At the beginning of the tournament and even before a few games, I was going through a lot of anxiety. I called my mom and cried, cried the whole time, let it all out, because when you’re going through anxiety, you just feel numb. You don’t know what to do. You’re trying to be yourself. And also during this time, my mom, my dad, were very supportive.”
She went on to credit her co-stars, Smriti Mandhana, Radha Yadav, for being her pillars of strength in the rough, albeit silent support.
“There was Smriti who helped me. She also knew what I was going through. A couple of network sessions, she just stood there. She even came yesterday. She stood there just because she didn’t say much, but she just knows that her presence is important to me. There was Radha who was always there and took care of me. Like, I’m so blessed to have that for friends and to ask about family, I have to ask myself.” help,” she said.
India vs. Australia, the best of the Women’s World Cup semi-finals
Jemimah also thanked her Delhi Capitals teammate Arundhatti Reddy, who despite not being part of the World Cup squad, checked on her daily.
“And also there was Arundhati, who I think I cried in front of her almost every day, I cried in front of her almost every day. I joked later, I said don’t walk in front of me, I’ll start crying. But she checked on me every day,” added Jemimah.
Jemimah’s maiden World Cup century, her third in ODIs, came off 115 balls, but it was her composure and control that really stood out. She led India’s record chase with remarkable maturity, commanding every phase of the innings with calm assurance. As the finish approached, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh provided brief but valuable support before Jemimah finished the job alongside Amanjot Kaur, who hit Sophie Molineux’s winning line to seal a historic victory.
India’s record-breaking win over Australia not only made history but also set the tone for their quest to win a maiden ODI World Cup title. They will now face South Africa in the final on November 2 in Navi Mumbai.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
31 October 2025
