In the semi-final of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 held at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai, the Australia Women crushed the challenge from the India Women by posting a mammoth total and leaving India with an almost impossible chase.
Australia’s innings
Australia set the tone early and never let up:
- They piled up 338 runs in 49.5 overs for the loss of just 3 wickets.
- A brilliant century from Phoebe Litchfield laid the foundation, supported by powerful knocks from the likes of Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner.
- The wicket of Australia’s skipper didn’t hurt them much; their batting depth showed up impressively.
India’s chase
India began their reply under duress:
- They lost early, with Shafali Verma caught lbw for 10 off just 5 balls.
- At one point the scoreboard read India 20/1 chasing 339, underscoring the magnitude of the task.
- While Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues tried to build a partnership, the required run-rate and pressure proved too great.
Key Moments & Turning Points
- The stand from Litchfield essentially set the game up — once Australia crossed 300, the momentum firmly shifted.
- India’s power-play collapse after Shafali’s wicket got them on the back foot. Every dot ball became heavy.
- Australia’s fielding intensity and bowling discipline in mid-overs stopped India from gaining any rhythm.
What this means & Looking forward
- Australia now book their place in the final, riding high on confidence, depth and execution.
- For India, despite the odds stacked against them, this will sting — but the semi-final appearance itself shows progress.
- The looming final promises to be a clash between a dominant Australia and an India side looking to upset.
Predictions & What to Watch
- Final outcome prediction: Australia remain favourites by a large margin given how they played tonight.
- India must focus on: Getting off to a solid start, minimizing dot balls, building an early platform. If they lose early wickets, the chase will slip away.
- Australia’s strength will be: Their batting depth and ability to accelerate, plus fielding pressure. If they can stop any big Indian partnership early, they’ll seal it.
- Wildcard factor: If Mandhana/Jemimah generate a strong partnership early and keep up a 6+ run rate, India could make it interesting — but the bar is set extremely high (339 needed!).
- Pitch & conditions: The ground offered good value for batters today; chasing such a target puts enormous pressure, so the toss and mental toughness will matter.
Final Thoughts
This semi-final reinforced Australia’s class and consistency in big games. India fought hard but the numbers simply tell the story: chasing 339 in a World Cup semi-final is a monumental ask. Going ahead, India will need to take learnings from this match — the importance of start, pace of batting, and minimizing pressure — if they want to convert semi-final appearances into final wins.
Hashtags
#WomensWorldCup2025 #AUSvIND #AustraliaWomen #IndiaWomen #CricketSemiFinal #WomenInCricket #CricketAnalysis #GameOn
