Indian openers register 37-year first to qualify for World Cup semifinal – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

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Topic:Cricket
Smriti Mandhana registered her third century of the World Cup to ensure co-hosts India will qualify for the semifinals. (Getty Images: Alex Davidson)
India has qualified for the semifinals of the Women's World Cup courtesy of a 53-run win over New Zealand in a rain-affected match. 
Opening duo Smriti Mandhana (109) and Pratika Rawal (122) combined for a 212-run opening partnership, the first double-century opening stand at a Women's World Cup since 1988.
India is likely to face either Australia or South Africa in the World Cup semifinal next Wednesday.
India has at last booked a semifinal spot at their home Women's World Cup and a blockbuster last-four rematch against champions Australia could be on the cards.
Superb centuries from openers Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal provided the base for their rain-affected 53-run win on DLS over New Zealand in Navi Mumbai, finally nailing the co-host's place in the knockout matches after three successive defeats.
India will now finish fourth in the group table and will have to meet the league winners in the semis.
The winners of Saturday's clash between unbeaten Australia and South Africa at Indore look sure to top the group and thus book a knockout clash with the hosts in Guwahati next Wednesday.
Alyssa Healy's side, which defeated India by three wickets in a thrilling group match in Visakhapatnam, will expect to complete its group program with a sixth-straight win and set up another blockbuster between the two pre-tournament favourites.
But India did put up a bit of a statement win as Mandhana and her batting apprentice Rawal, who put on 155 against Australia, surpassed even that against the battered Kiwis.
Rawal hit 122 – her maiden World Cup hundred – off 134 balls while Mandhana amassed 109 off 95 deliveries.
The duo put on 212 in 32.2 overs at the DY Patil Stadium.
Jemimah Rodrigues then built on their excellence with an unbeaten 76 off 55 balls as India racked up 3-340 in 49 overs, the 2025 edition's highest score, before rain interruptions reduced the game to a 44-over affair.
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine managed just six before being bowled by Renuka Singh in the run chase. (Getty Images: Alex Davidson)
New Zealand, chasing a revised total of 325, never looked likely to pull off the win that would have resurrected their hopes, despite Brooke Halliday's impressive 81.
So the White Ferns are out, after three defeats and two rain-hit no-results in six matches, leaving captain Sophie Devine to lament: "We are incredibly disappointed and gutted … bloody frustrating tournament."
But not for the Indians, for whom nothing but victory in their home tournament will do.
"It is a big relief," Mandhana said.
She was named player-of-the-match for her third World Cup hundred and her 14th overall in women's ODIs, putting her second in the all-time list behind Meg Lanning's 15 for Australia.
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"The last three games were really tough — we played good cricket, but we did not win," Mandhana said.
Put in to bat, theirs was only the third instance of a double-century opening stand in women's World Cups, and a first since 1988.
Mandhana got to 50 off 49 balls and made India's first century of the tournament off 88, while Rawal got to her second ODI ton off 122 balls. Rodrigues, promoted to number three, then responded with a 38-ball half-century.
Rain proved a frustration, with India's innings halted at 49 overs before a further delay caused another lost two hours.
When play finally resumed, India's medium pacers Kranti Gaud (2-48) and Renuka Singh (2-25) proved key.
Georgia Plimmer (30) and Amelia Kerr (45) tried to speed up, but Singh bowled Plimmer in the 10th over and Devine (six) in the 12th, to leave New Zealand 3-59 and effectively out of the hunt despite some late heroics from Halliday and Isabella Gaze (65 not out), who put on 72 off 64 balls.
AAP
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