Top 3 reasons why Australia-W lost to India-W in Women's World Cup 2025 semi-final 2

India Women pulled off a stunning five-wicket win over defending champions Australia in the second semifinal of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Jemimah Rodrigues played a brilliant unbeaten innings to lead India’s record chase of 339 runs and take them into the final against South Africa. It was one of the most significant victories in the Women's World Cup, breaking Australia's hold on the tournament in great fashion.

Australia, after winning the toss, opted to bat first, posting an outstanding total of 338 in 49.5 overs. Phoebe Litchfield scored a brilliant 119 off of 93 balls with 17 fours and 3 sixes. Ellyse Perry added 77, while Ashleigh Gardner smashed a quick 63, but India’s bowlers fought back in the final overs with Shree Charani and Deepti Sharma taking two wickets each.

Chasing 339, India lost openers Shafali Verma (10) and Smriti Mandhana (24) early to Kim Garth, leaving them under pressure. But Jemimah Rodrigues and captain Harmanpreet Kaur led India’s fightback with a strong 167-run stand for the third wicket. Harmanpreet scored 89 off 88 balls, while Rodrigues stayed calm till the end with an unbeaten 127 from 134 balls.

Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh added useful runs in the closing overs before Amanjot Kaur hit the winning boundary. India chased down the target with nine balls to spare, registering the highest-ever successful chase in Women’s World Cup history. The victory sent India to the final and ended Australia’s dream of another title. Below are the main reasons for the Australia Women's defeat:

1. Dropped Catches Off Jemimah Rodrigues

During India's chase, Australia's fielders dropped important catches of Jemimah Rodrigues, including by Alyssa Healy when she was on 95. Of course, she went on to bat even deeper into the innings and guided India to victory. The dropped chances proved costly in the semifinal situation.

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2. Record-Breaking Indian Batting Partnership

Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur built a record 167-run pairing, which changed the game for India. They were calm and rotated the strike smartly to disrupt the Australian bowlers. When Kaur eventually got out, India were in complete control of the chase.

3. Costly Extras and Poor Bowling Discipline

Australia has conceded 25 additional runs, which allowed India to keep their scoring rate without taking any chances. Their bowlers could not sustain that pressure, bowling wides or no-balls at important junctures. These errors made the historic chase much easier for India to complete.