Navi Mumbai, Oct 30 (NationPress) Jemimah Rodrigues dedicated her pivotal performance to her faith, family, and resilience after propelling India into the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup final with a remarkable five-wicket victory over the reigning champions Australia at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.

“First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude to Jesus. I couldn’t have done this alone,” said Rodrigues, who was awarded Player of the Match for her unbeaten 127 runs. “The past six months have been challenging. I was left out of last year’s World Cup, and I cried every day. I faced anxiety but focused on showing up daily, trusting that God would guide me.”

In pursuit of a formidable total of 339, India faced early setbacks, losing openers Shafali Verma (10) and Smriti Mandhana (24) cheaply. However, Rodrigues demonstrated maturity and composure beyond her years, collaborating with captain Harmanpreet Kaur to orchestrate one of the greatest chases in World Cup history.

Their 167-run partnership for the third wicket — the highest in any World Cup knockout match for India and the highest against Australia in tournament history — changed the course of the match.

Rodrigues disclosed that she was unaware she would be batting at No. 3 until just moments before her turn. “Five minutes prior, I learned I was batting at three. It wasn’t about proving myself; it was about bringing India home. Today was not about my fifty or hundred; it was about winning for India,” she remarked.

Her century, featuring 10 boundaries and showcasing her agile running between the wickets, came off 115 balls — marking her maiden World Cup century and third ODI ton overall, all achieved in 2025. Earlier, she had reached the three-figure mark against Ireland in January and South Africa in May, but this performance against Australia on the grandest stage marked a career highlight.

“When Harmanpreet arrived, we discussed building a partnership. Deepti kept communicating with me every ball, and Richa also supported me. When I faced difficulties, my teammates uplifted me,” Rodrigues recounted. “As we approached the needed 80 runs, the crowd began chanting my name. Navi Mumbai is incredibly special — the fans inspired me.”

Their partnership surpassed the previous record of 157 runs set between Mithali Raj and Punam Raut in 2017, as well as the 137-run collaboration between Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma in the same semifinal against Australia eight years ago. It also marked the end of Australia's dominance in 150-plus partnerships in World Cup knockouts, which had been entirely their players' domain.