Navi Mumbai, Oct 31 (NationPress) As Amanjot Kaur hit the decisive boundary to secure a stunning five-wicket triumph for India against the defending champions Australia in the second semifinal of the ICC Women's World Cup held in Navi Mumbai, captain Harmanpreet Kaur was the first to rush from the dugout to celebrate with Hemimah Rodrigues, who produced a spectacular century that made the win achievable.

Harmanpreet also contributed significantly with a swift 89 runs off 89 balls, forming a remarkable 167-run partnership with Jemimah, as India accomplished the largest chase in Women's World Cup history. Targeting Australia's total of 338 all out, which featured a century from Phoebe Litchfield (117 runs) and half-centuries from Ellyse Perry (77) and Ashleigh Gardner (63), India finished with 341/5 in just 48.3 overs due to Rodrigues' spectacular performance, Harmanpreet's explosive 89, along with contributions from Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh, to achieve a historic victory and earn a spot in the final against South Africa on Sunday.

The Indian captain expressed immense pride in her team's performance, attributing the success to six months of dedicated effort from both the players and the coaching staff led by Amol Muzumdar.

"I am incredibly proud. Words fail to express my feelings. It feels amazing; we have finally crossed that line we’ve been striving towards for years," stated Harmanpreet Kaur during the post-match presentation.

"We (referring to herself and head coach Amol Muzumdar) acknowledged that our hard work has brought us to this moment. We have complete faith that any player can turn the game around from any situation. We made some errors, but we are learning from them," she added.

Harmanpreet specifically mentioned the narrow loss to England as a pivotal match they discussed prior to facing Australia.

"We wanted everything to align in our favor today and kept reminding ourselves to support one another, which ultimately led to our success. Against England, we recognized our shortcomings; we were slow by 2-3 overs and could have taken calculated risks earlier, which cost us. This is what we talked about, being strategic; once you lose your grip on the game, it’s tough to recover," said Harman.

She emphasized that they had deliberated in their pre-match meeting about maintaining composure and strategy during the final five overs.

"While the match lasts 50 overs, the last five overs are crucial and require precision and calculation. We understood what we needed to do in similar situations, and we aimed to finish before the 50th over," explained the Indian captain.

Harmanpreet praised Jemimah Rodrigues for her outstanding innings and her persistence at the crease until the end.

"She (Rodrigues) consistently strives to contribute positively for the team. She is always strategic and seeks to take on responsibility. We trust her implicitly. When batting together, we complement each other and strategize effectively. I enjoy batting alongside her; she’s always reminding me of the runs needed and balls left, showcasing her engagement. I’m truly impressed by her mindset. She deserves immense credit for staying composed and focused for the team," said Harmanpreet.

Looking ahead, she mentioned the significance of competing in the World Cup final against South Africa.

"Just one more game to go. We performed well today, and I’m pleased with the outcome, but we’ve already started preparing for the next match, indicating our focus and determination to win the World Cup. Competing in a home World Cup is special, and we want to give back to our fans and families. One last game remains, and we will put forth our best effort," remarked the seasoned all-rounder, participating in her fifth World Cup.

Harman expressed gratitude to the large crowd that filled the stadium for their unwavering support. "We are not alone in this journey. Our fans are with us in every match, pushing us to excel. Their support has been incredible; even in our defeats, we received messages of encouragement, affirming that this World Cup is still ours to seize. The entire country stands behind us," she concluded.