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New Delhi: Indian batting stalwart and former skipper Virat Kohli hailed the Women in Blue for their stunning victory over seven-time champions Australia in the ODI World Cup semifinal, calling it a “true display of resilience, belief, and passion.” India produced a remarkable performance to defeat Australia by five wickets at the DY Patil Stadium on Thursday, punching their ticket to their third ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final after 2005 and 2017, when they finished as the runners-up behind Australia and England, respectively. Reacting to the triumph, Kohli took to social media platform X to applaud the team’s efforts. “What a victory by our team over a mighty opponent like Australia. A great chase by the girls and a standout performance by Jemimah in a big game. A true display of resilience, belief, and passion. Well done, Team India!” he wrote. Jemimah Rodrigues starred in the chase with a stunning knock under pressure, scoring 127 off 134 deliveries as India chased down a record total of 339 in Women’s ODI history. India’s 341/5 in the semifinal is also the second-highest score in a Women’s ODI run-chase, after their own 369 all-out against the same team in New Delhi last month. This is the first time a 300-plus total was gunned down in an ODI World Cup knockout – Men’s or Women’s. The previous highest had come in the Men’s CWC 2015 semifinal: 298 by New Zealand vs South Africa in Auckland. India will now look to carry the same momentum into the final as they chase their maiden Women’s World Cup title. The tournament hosts India will take on South Africa, featured in a Women’s World Cup Final for the first time, on Sunday, meaning a team will claim the coveted trophy for the very first time. IANS |
