Young sensation Phoebe Litchfield dazzled away under the spotlight in Navi Mumbai as her classy 119 off 93 balls has powered Australia to the highest score in any semi-final. After losing her captain early, Litchfield was at her dominant best as her 119 alongside Ellyse Perry’s calm 77 and Ashleigh Gardner’s terrific 63 off 45 balls powered the Aussies to 338 despite losing a flurry of wickets to run outs in the end.
For India, Nallapureddy Charani bowled well and finished with 2/49 in 10 overs while Deepti Sharma picked up 2 wickets as well. There were multiple run outs in the Australian innings but they have the runs on the board now. It will take a miracle for India to be on the winning side of this game.
Australia get off to a rollicking start despite losing Alyssa Healy early.
Winning the toss and deciding to bat first, captain Alyssa Healy came out to bat with Phoebe Litchfield for Australia. Renuka Singh Thakur had ball in hand for India. Renuka started with a decent first over. Kranti Gaud had ball in hand from the other end. Litchfield hit the first boundary of the contest by shimmying down the wicket and drove it between covers and cover point for a boundary. Litchfield was in her groove as she got underneath it and played it over mid-off for a boundary.
Renuka continued as Healy got a reprieve early with her opposite number Harmanpreet Kaur dropped a sitter at mid-off. Litchfield then square drove Thakur past diving backward point for a boundary. Gaud continued as Litchfield swivelled away to vacant fine leg for a boundary. Thakur then bowled a quiet over. Gaud got the first breakthrough for India as she dismissed Healy for 5 off 15 balls.
Gaud bowled a good length delivery just outside off-stump that straightened a bit after pitching. Healy had a tame poke at it away from her body and ended up getting an inside edge back onto the stumps. It is here, that rain came in and paused play for around 15 minutes before play resumed Ellyse Perry coming out to bat next. Perry got off the mark soon before Litchfield was gifted four bonus runs by India’s sloppy fielding. Litchfield then hit Gardner as she lifted it over wide mid-on for a boundary.
Thakur though she had Perry LBW as the umpire gave it OUT. But Perry reviewed and got the decision in her favour as the ball was clearly missing the leg stump. Good review by Perry. Perry got a lucky boundary by getting an inside edge past the leg stump for a boundary. Litchfield squeezed it away to deep backward point and short third man for a boundary. Litchfield square drove it away past Amanjot for a boundary. Gaud was wayward as she gifted 5 bonus runs to the batting side by bowling wides.
Renuka continued with keeper upto the stumps as Litchfield got the outside edge and away to the third man fence for a lucky boundary. Gaud bowled the last over of the powerplay as the good length delivery on the pads was glanced away to fine leg for a boundary by Perry as she hit another boundary by punching it back past the bowler and beat the diving mid-on fielder. Perry was on a roll now as she stayed deep in the crease and guided it nicely behind square on the off-side for a boundary. At the end of the powerplay, Australia were 72/1 in 10 overs.
Phoebe Litchfield & Ellyse Perry drive the innings forward with the former completing her ton.
Renuka continued after the powerplay as Litchfield slammer her by getting under it and played the lofted drive over extra covers for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Nallapureddy Charani came into the attack next. Charani bowled a quiet first over. Deepti Sharma came into the attack next. She too bowled a good over. Charani continued as Litchfield brought up her fifty in style with a boundary lofted down the ground as this was her 9th ODI fifty.
Perry took the attack to Deepti by dancing down the track and lofted it straight back over the bowler’s head for the maximum. The 100 came up for Australia in 15.2 overs. Litchfield took on Charani by stepping out and staying inside the line of the ball and nailed the inside out shot which sailed over deep extra cover for the maximum. Litchfield survived a caught behind scare as the ball did not quite carry to the keeper. Deepti continued as Perry tickled it away fine for a boundary to fine leg.
Charani continued and bowled a good over. Amanjot Kaur came into the attack for the first time today. Litchfield played a cheeky shot as she shuffled across the stumps and used the pace of the ball and lapped it down to fine leg fence for a boundary. Radha Yadav came into the attack next. Litchfield played a no look inside out over top of extra cover for a boundary. The 100-run stand came up between the two players. Litchfield then caressed through the covers in the gap for a boundary. Litchfield then hammered Radha down the ground past mid-off for a boundary to end the over. Australia were 135/1 in 20 overs.
Deepti returned to the attack after the break. Litchfield brought out the reverse sweep and got a top edge over the top of short third man for a boundary. Amanjot changed ends as Litchfield threw her hands and got a thick outside edge that ran away fine down to the third man fence. Radha returned to the attack as the 150 came up for Australia in 22.2 overs. Charani came back into the attack as Litchfield brought up her hundred by stepping down the track and slammed it over mid-off for a boundary. She got to her 100 in 77 balls as this was her 3rd ODI ton.
Radha came to bowl the 25th over and bowled a miserly over as Australia were 159/1 in 25 overs at the halfway stage of the innings.
India tries to peg things back by taking wickets at regular intervals; but Australia still on top.
Amanjot Kaur came back into the attack as Litchfield gets a lifeline with Richa dropping a tough chance behind the stumps. Amanjot bowled a decent over. Deepti Sharma came back into the attack. Litchfield took the attack to Deepti by first clubbing it straight over the bowler’s head for the maximum and then played the switch hit by changing her stance and got it way over deep extra cover for the maximum. The 150-run partnership comes up between the two players.
Amanjot continued as she got rid of the big fish Phoebe Litchfield for 119 off 93 balls with 17 fours and 3 sixes to her name. She bowled a length ball around the middle stump line. Litchfield shuffled across the stumps and went for a funky shot as she missed the lap and the ball rattled the stumps. Beth Mooney came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. Radha continued as Mooney got down on one knee and swept it fine down to the fine leg fence.
India reviewed for a LBW appeal against Mooney but the ball clearly pitched outside the leg stump as India burnt a review. Amanjot bowled a decent over as Australia were 193/2 in 30 overs. Radha continued as Perry reached her 37th ODI fifty off 66 balls and this was her first fifty in this edition. Mooney pulled away in front of square for a boundary as the 200 came up for Australia in 31.2 overs. Perry took on Amanjot as he took a big stride forward and lofted it over long-on for the maximum. It was the 50th six for Perry in ODIs. Deepti returned as Mooney stepped out and dragged it to the leg side through deep midwicket.
Charani returned and kept things tight and got rid of Mooney for 24 off 22 balls with 3 fours to her name. Charani flighted it up outside off-stump as Mooney danced down the track and gave herself some room to go inside out over covers but mistimed it as she ended up chipping it to Rodrigues who took a good catch inside the circle. Annabel Sutherland came out to bat next as Australia were 220/3 in 34 overs as Drinks was taken at this stage.
Thakur bowled a quiet over. Charani then removed Sutherland for 3 off 6 balls. She tossed it up nicely on off-stump. Sutherland planted her front leg and pushed it with a straight bat and was early into the stroke and ended up chipping it back to Charani who took a safe catch above her shoulders. Ashleigh Gardner came into the crease next. Thakur continued and bowled a quiet over. Charani bowled another tight over.
Gaud came back into the attack as Perry reached out for it and cut it behind square for a boundary at backward point. Perry got a triple to end the over. Radha came back into the attack. She got rid of Perry for 77 off 88 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes to her name. Radha bowled a flighted delivery on a length around off-stump. Perry went deep in the crease and looked to cut it but got cramped for room. She missed it completely and the ball hit the top of off-stump. Tahlia McGrath came out to bat and got off the mark with a brace.
McGrath hit Radha by driving it straight to covers where the Indian captain misfielded and let the ball go through. McGrath drove it behind square in the off-side as she split the gap between backward point and short third man for a boundary. Australia were 253/5 in 40 overs.
Late flourish amidst flurry of wickets powers Australia to 338 in 49.5 overs.
Deepti came back into the attack as Richa missed a possible stumping off a wide ball. Gardner took advantage of a poor ball as she tickled the ball on the pads to fine leg for a boundary. Amanjot returned to the attack as Gardner took her on and drove her through the covers for a boundary. Miscommunication meant another wicket felt as McGrath fell for 12 off 7 balls with 2 fours to her name as she fell to a run out. Kim Garth came out to bat next and got gifted 4 runs via overthrows.
Charani returned and bowled another quiet over. Deepti followed it up with a quiet over as well. Charani continued as Gardner took her on by stepping down the track and tonked it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Australia reached 292/6 in 45 overs. Charani ended her impressive spell. Amanjot returned to the attack. Gardner found the attack by stepping down the track and flicked it away past right of deep backward square leg for a boundary. The 300 came up for Australia in 46 overs.
Radha continued as Gardner rocked back and pulled it away between deep midwicket and long-on for the maximum. Deepti returned as she bowled it down the leg side as Gardner who backed away for room and swiped it away behind square on the leg side for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between these two players. Soon, Gardner reached her half-century in 41 balls, her 8th ODI fifty.
Radha continued as Gardner launched her by stepping down the ground and launching it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Gardner went away by dancing down the track and heaved it away between long-on and deep midwicket for the maximum. Gardner was left stranded by her partner as she was next run out for 63 off 45 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes to her name. Alana King came out to bat next and she stepped down the track and hammered it past wide long-off for a boundary.
Deepti continued and got rid of King for 4 off 4 balls with a boundary to her name thanks to good usage of DRS. Deepti bowled a length ball wide outside off-stump angling across the batter. King shuffled across the stumps and swung her bat across the line. She got beaten on the inside edge to the keeper. They appeal for caught behind, the umpire said no. Replays show that there was clear spike as the ball was next to the bat. The decision was overturned to OUT. Sophie Molineux came out to bat next and was cleaned up by Deepti first ball for a golden duck.
Deepti from over the wicket bowled a yorker around leg from Deepti. Molineux shuffled across the stumps as she missed the swipe on the inside edge and the ball crashed onto the base of the leg stump. Megan Schutt came out to bat next and survived the hat-trick ball by getting off the mark. We had a run out to end the innings as Kim Garth looking to keep the strike for the second run got run out at the striker’s end for 17 off 17 balls. Schutt remained unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball as Australia were bowled out for 338 in 49.5 overs. 13 extras given by the Indian fielders.
It was a hard toil for the Indian bowlers. Nallapureddy Charani was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/49 in 10 overs. Deepti Sharma got 2/73 in 9.5 overs. Kranti Gaud picked up 1/58 in 6 overs. Amanjot Kaur finished with 1/51 in 8 overs. Radha Yadav finished with 1/66 in 8 overs. Renuka Singh Thakur finished with 0/39 in 8 overs. This meant India needed a mountain to climb needing 339 runs to win off 50 overs.
Who’s Winning, India or Australia?
Australia much like South Africa have got the runs on the board and 338 is a huge score in a semi-final clash no matter how good the pitch is. Australia are overwhelming favourites to win this and advance to yet another final. India have to bat out of their skins to hunt this total down and looking at the temperament of the Indian batters, we don’t see it happening. The pitch is great for batting. Australia should win this.
Let’s see how the chase unfolds with prayers hoping that the weather holds off for the second half of the chase and we get a result in tonight.
Also Read: ICC Women’s ODI WC 2025: India Aim for Final Berth, Australia Sweat On Alyssa Healy’s Fitness