In a thrilling Women’s Cricket World Cup semifinal, Australian star all-rounder Ellyse Perry openly applauded the exceptional performance of India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur and young batter Jemimah Rodrigues. Despite her team’s defeat, Perry acknowledged that their composed and powerful batting truly earned admiration, even from the Australian dressing room.
The Indian team made history by successfully completing the highest-ever run chase in women’s One Day International (ODI) history. This incredible feat secured their spot in Sunday’s highly anticipated title clash against South Africa.
When questioned about whether Australia could have approached the game differently, Perry humbly stated, “It’s really easy to stand here in retrospect and throw ideas into the wind. But at the end of the day, all of us in our dressing room would applaud Harman and Jemi for the way that they played, the way that they went about that chase after probably losing two early wickets in the power play.”
She emphasized that the Indian duo, with Harmanpreet scoring a magnificent 89 and Jemimah an unbeaten 127, capitalized on their opportunities brilliantly. “They just made us pay. All credit goes to them as opposed to anything that we did or didn’t do,” Perry added, acknowledging the supreme skill of her opponents.
Perry also addressed the dropped catches involving Jemimah Rodrigues at crucial stages (on 82 and 106 runs), stating that such moments are an inherent part of high-pressure sports. “For all of us, the intent is to always fight and to take on the challenge and be there until the game’s done. So as long as you’re giving all your effort, that’s all you can do, and it is sport at the end of the day,” she explained.
“You never want to make mistakes, but when you’re playing in high-pressure situations and there’s a lot on the line, things happen,” Perry continued, highlighting her team’s supportive stance towards each other and their refusal to dwell on such incidents. “For us, I don’t think we ever talk about it. You just move on straight away. Everyone’s doing absolutely all they can. Sometimes those things happen and no one means it, and we’re just there to support each other.”
Reflecting on her own impressive innings of 77 and Phoebe Litchfield’s 119, which contributed to a strong 155-run partnership for Australia, Perry downplayed her individual contribution. She acknowledged the immense talent across both teams in such significant matches, reiterating that Harmanpreet and Jemimah’s partnership was truly special, especially on their home turf.
Perry remained resolute in her team’s approach, refusing to seek excuses for their semifinal loss – their first in a World Cup tournament at this stage since falling to India in 2017. “You can’t walk away with excuses from a loss in the semifinal because at the end of the day, you need to be able to perform on the day that matters the most,” she affirmed, expressing pride in the team’s style of cricket throughout the tournament and the past year.
Meanwhile, Australian head coach Shelley Nitschke indicated that discussions around a potential transition phase, including the future of skipper Alyssa Healy and Perry in the ODI setup, were not a primary focus. Healy, however, confirmed she would not be participating in the next ODI World Cup. Nitschke stated that the focus remains on the upcoming summer cricket season, with both players still making significant contributions.