India beat Australia in historic chase to reach Women’s Cricket World Cup final – as it happened
As heart rates stabilise east of GMT, I’m off for a soothing vada pav at Manchester Chit n Chaat (as kindly recommended by Krishnamoorthy’s cousin).Thank you all for your company and your emails – sorry I didn’t get around to them all.There will be a new winner of the Women’s World Cup on Sunday.See you there.Harmanpreet Kaur, with the face of a woman dazed by events.
“I’m very proud, feeling great, we have been working hard for so many days, cant believe it.We [her and coach] believe every player can win any match at any time in any situation.We made a few mistakes in this tournament and we have been learning from our mistakes.We realised that we didn’t execute very well, we were late by two or three overs, that really cost us.We realised that we had to recalculate as once behind the rate it is hard to come back in the last five overs.
You have to be very calculating.Jemimah hasn’t batted at three too often, she always wants to do really well for the team and wants to take responsibility.Today was a very special knock from her, both of us had a very good time on the pitch, we were complementing each other and she was doing all the calculating on the pitch.I was so amazed to see how she was thinking and pushing me so we should give a lot of thanks to her.We have one more game to go, we all played well, already we have started speaking about our next game, that’s how focussed we are.
We are playing in home conditions which is really special for us, we want to do it for our fans and our families - one more game to go and we will do our best,We are not playing alone the crowd are always with us, they’ve been amazing, even when we lost we kept getting messages,Our country is with us,Alyssa Healy’s reactionWe did that to ourselves a little bit, which is probably the first time that’s happened,We didn’t finish off with the bat, didn’t bowl great and dropped all our chances in the field.
We still hung in there till the second last over, so we can take something from that, but ultimately we were outdone.I thought we’d left a few runs out at the back end but 338, on a good wicket, I thought we were well in the game.It is what it is.India played really well, held their nerve and got themselves over the line.[On Phoebe Litchfield] It’s a weird experience to watch the next generation go about it.
Phoebs was sensational today and set us off really nicely.Kudos to her – it’s been fun to watch her and the next four years, leading into the next World Cup, will be really exciting to watch.I thought Ash [Gardner] had a sensational tournament.Everyone contributed beautifully throughout this tournament which is why it’s so disappointing to be standing here right now.We created enough chances [in the field], we just weren’t able to capitalise.
I’m at fault for that as well.It’s something Australian prides themselves on and we let ourselves down.We’ll learn from that, we’ll grow and our one-day cricket will hopefully improve.I think we’ve played some unbelievable tournament.But we’ve said throughout: if you don’t quite turn up in a knockout game, any of the top four teams will get you.
They’re the top four teams for a reason.There was so much to be proud of, which is probably why this conversation stings a bit more.I won’t be at the next World Cup mate! That’s the beauty of this next cycle, we’ll see [the evolution of the team] unfold.Like I said, there’s an opportunity for some young players and that’s really exciting for Australian cricket.This match feels epic in so many ways.
Not just in the extraordinary innings by Jemimah, and Harnampreet, and the cameos by Deepti and Richa, but the huge crowd, and the fact that now the Women’s World Cup Final will now be played between two sides who have never won it before,Massivley important for women’s cricket in India too,First the WPL, now this,Australia should have won but they didn’t do the things they always do – they dropped catches, they threw overthrows, the death bowling wasn’t on point,The.
pressure.got.to.them.And India capitalised.
More from Jemimah RodriguesInitially I was just talking to myself [while batting], but towards the end I was just quoting scripture from the Bible because I had no energy, I was very tired.I was quoting one scripture which says, ‘Just stand still and God will fight for’, and that’s what I did.I stood there and he fought for me.Towards the end I was trying to push myself and was not able to.Deepti was speaking to me and encouraging after every ball.
I am so blessed that my teammates encouraged me to keep going.I can’t take credit for any of this; I know I’ve done nothing.Navi Mumbai is special for me and I couldn’t ask for anything better.I would like to thank each and every person who chanted, who shouted, who believed, who cheered for every run.Thank you to everyone.
A tearful Jemimah Rodrigues is giving one of the great post-match interviewsFirstly I want to thank Jesus, because I couldn’t do this on my own.I know he carried me through today.I want to thank my mum, my dad, my coach and every single person who believed in me throughout this time.[Stops to wipe away tears] It was really hard, this last month, but this feels like a dream and it hasn’t sunk in yet.I actually didn’t know I was batting at No3.
I was down to bat at No5 but discussions were happening and I said, ‘Just let me know’.Around five minutes before I came in, I was told I was batting No3.But it wasn’t me, it was not to prove a point; it was just for me to win this match for India.We’ve always lost in crunch situations and I just wanted to be there to take us through.It was not about my fifty or my hundred, it was about making India win.
I know I know I got a few chances but I just feel that God rewards you if you do things with the right intention,Last year I was dropped from this World Cup,This year I was in good form but things kept happening and I couldn’t count on anything,I’ve had such amazing people around me who believed me,I have almost cried every day throughout this competition.
I was not doing well mentally, going through a lot of anxiety, then being dropped was another challenge for me.But I think all I had to do was show up, and God took care of everything.Unbelievable.With the winning runs, the Indian players sprint onto the pitch.Harmanpreet punches the air and hugs the coach.
Jemimah is overcome even as she walks off , she blows kisses to the crowd with one hand, wipes her eyes with the other.Australia are dumb-founded.Barely moving.Despite their record-breaking total, the big yellow machine malfunctioned.A weeping Jemimah collects her award, “ I want to thank every single person who believed in me.
It feels like a dream”49.3 overs: India 341-5 ( Jemimah 127, Amanjot 15) Amanjot nearly does the job in two shots – but finishes it in three! Finds the power and the wherewithal to thrash four through the offside, two straight down the ground where it is cut of by a desperate diving fielder in yellow, and a final flourish through point.Out of this world cricket.48th over: India 331-5 (Jemimah 127, Amanjot 5) India need 8 from 12 ballsA couple off Sutherland’s first ball, then a wide, snatched magically by Healy to her left to stop it rolling to the rope.But she can’t do anything about the next ball which Jemimah ramps with style.
Then another wide.Poor Sutherland marches back and wrinkles her nose.Beth Mooney has her head in her hands.And four more, Jemimah, stance wide, gloriously sliding the ball through point, she punches the air.The equation is India’s.
46th over: India 316-5 ( Jemimah 118, Amanjot 1) India need 23 from 18 balls Jemimah tightens the knot with four from Molineux’s first ball, through point with power,Every hair on every body in Mumbai, chewing nails, sucking lips, stands alert,But Molineux keeps her nerve – just six from the over,Tries to go up and over but finds only Garth at short third who holds on for dear life,46th over: India 310-5 ( Jemimah 113, Amanjot 0 ) India need 29 from 24 balls Sutherland gives them nothing.
Single, single, single, single, single, WICKET! We twist another bend.45th over: India 305-4 ( Jemimah 108, Richa13 ) India need 34 from 30 balls Richa on one knee, flamed amazement into the crowd for six, who are in ecstacies.Now another, just where she wants it from Gardner – this time four to deep midwicket.This is now advantage India.44th over: India 291-4 ( Jemimah 108, Richa 13 ) India need 48 from 36 balls Unbelievable, Richa shanks at a slower ball, it flies up and seemingly straight at McGrath at long-off, but she’s misjudged and the ball flies through her hands.
Now four.Richa, backing away, top edging.The equation comes down further.43rd over: India 284-4 ( Jemimah 106, Richa 8 ) India need 55 from 42 balls Pressure – huh – Rodrigues reverse-weeps four from Gardner who plays dare with the umpire but is eventually called wide.42nd over: India 276-4 ( Jemimah 100, Richa 7 ) India need 63 from 48 balls I still have no idea know where this is going.
Jemimah reaches a glorious century but barely acknowledges it – clear your mind girl.Schutt’s last ball is crunched by Richa high into the night and over the rope.Oh.Oh dear.Jemimah tonks the ball straight to short fine leg and sets off at speed, but a ponderous Deepti has no chance.
Out by a tail’s length.41st over: India 264-4 ( Jemimah 95, Ghosh 0) India need 74 from 54 balls The roar for the top-edged sweep by Deepti that reaches the boundary is huge, but the silence after her dismissal hangs like a damp coat in the Mumbai night.40th over: India 257-3 ( Jemimah 95, Deepti 18) India need 82 from 60 balls Schutt replaces Sutherland.They twinkle a couple of singles – Deepti over runs so can’t come back for a second from an overthrow in a tableau of limbs and voices.A wide
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