IND-W vs AUS-W Semifinal, Women's World Cup 2025: Litchfield's Century, Gardner's Late Fireworks Take Australia To 338-run Record Total

IND-W vs AUS-W Semifinal, ICC Women's World Cup 2025: Australia posted a record total of 338 before getting bowled out in 49.5 overs against India in the second semifinal of the ICC Women's World Cup 2025 at the DY Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.

Three wickets fell in the final over, with Deepti Sharma dismissing Alana King (4) and Sophie Molineux (0). She finished with the bowling figures of 2/73 in her 9.5 overs. Shree Charani was the pick of the bowlers for India on a tough day as she took two wickets for 49 runs, whereas Kranti Gaud, Amanjot Kaur and Radha Yadav found a scalp each.

India were off to a promising start as Kranti got the crucial wicket of Alyssa Healy for 5 in just the fifth over of the match. However, the Aussies capitalised on Phoebe Litchfield's excellent game awareness and India's poor outing on the field. Litchfield smashed the Indian bowlers all around the ground and hit a magnificent century.

She stitched a dominating partnership of 155 runs with Ellyse Perry for the second wicket. Litchfield ended up playing a remarkable knock of 119 runs in just 93 balls on the back of 17 fours and three sixes, whereas Perry smashed a promising fifty. Perry added a few crucial runs with Beth Mooney before getting dismissed for 77 runs by Radha Yadav.

"It was awesome for the personal milestone, but I think as a team perspective, it's awesome to get over that 300 mark and put a competitive total on the board. I think just assessing the wicket, getting myself in, and then taking down the spinners when they put a ball in my area. But I think credit also goes to Pez (Perry) down the other end, keeping me going. And yeah, I think a full team effort there to get to 330 or whatever we got to," Litchfield said at the mid-innings break.

It was Ashleigh Gardner, who unleashed late fireworks to ensure that Australia go past the 300-run mark with an ease. She smashed fiery 63 runs in just 45 balls, hitting four boundaries and as many sixes.

IND-W vs AUS-W Semifinal Playing XIs, ICC Women's World Cup 2025

India women: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana, Amanjot Kaur, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh(w), Radha Yadav, Kranti Gaud, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur

Australia women: Australia Women (Playing XI): Phoebe Litchfield, Alyssa Healy(w/c), Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Alana King, Kim Garth, Megan Schutt