India Secures Semifinal Berth with Dominant Batting Display
In a crucial Women’s World Cup showdown, India delivered a commanding performance against New Zealand at the DY Patil Stadium, clinching a 53-run victory (DLS method) to secure their place in the 2025 semifinals. The team showcased exceptional cricket when it mattered most, solidifying their position as the fourth semifinalist.
India’s formidable batting line-up, spearheaded by sensational centuries from openers Smriti Mandhana (109 runs off 95 balls) and Pratika Rawal (122 runs off 134 balls), set a massive target. Jemimah Rodrigues, making a strong return to the playing XI, further bolstered the score with an aggressive unbeaten 76 runs off just 55 balls, propelling India to a formidable 340 for three in 49 overs against a struggling New Zealand bowling attack.
An unexpected 90-minute rain delay revised New Zealand’s target to 325 runs from 44 overs. The decision to field first in challenging hot and humid conditions proved costly for the White Ferns, who crumbled under the immense pressure of the chase. They eventually managed 271 for eight, with only Brooke Halliday (81 from 84 balls) and Isabella Gaze (unbeaten 65 from 51 balls) showing significant resistance. Adding to her stellar batting performance, Mandhana also contributed in the field with a superb catch at short mid-wicket to dismiss Amelia Kerr (45).
As tournament hosts, India is now set to play their second semifinal match at the very same DY Patil Stadium on October 30th. Their upcoming league game against Bangladesh on Sunday is now merely a formality. Meanwhile, the reigning Women’s T20 World Cup champions, New Zealand, are left to reflect on their misfortunes, including two washed-out matches in Sri Lanka and a disappointing performance in this crucial encounter.
Record-Breaking Partnerships and Individual Milestones
A record-breaking crowd of 25,166, the largest attendance of this World Cup, witnessed an explosive batting display from India’s top three players. With a semifinal spot on the line, the Women in Blue transformed the pitch into a batting paradise, posting the tournament’s highest score yet with an unforgettable exhibition of power hitting.
Mandhana and Rawal’s partnership was nothing short of historic, as they forged an epic 212-run opening stand off 202 balls. This marks their second double-century partnership and seventh century stand in Women’s One Day Internationals (WODIs). This monumental effort also shattered records, becoming India’s highest-ever opening partnership in women’s ODIs, surpassing the previous best of 184 runs between Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur against West Indies in the 2022 World Cup. Earlier in the tournament, this dynamic duo had already notched up a formidable 155-run partnership against Australia.
In an astonishing display of consistent brilliance, Mandhana and Rawal have accumulated a staggering 1557 runs together in WODIs in 2025. This incredible feat places their partnership’s annual aggregate second only to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar-Sourav Ganguly duo’s 1635 runs in 1998, across all ODIs (men’s or women’s). Considering Rawal only made her WODI debut last December against West Indies, their rapid rise and formidable statistics are truly remarkable, hinting at even greater achievements in the future.
This remarkable duo also registered their fourth 150-plus partnership in WODIs, an achievement that puts them alongside cricketing legends like Belinda Clark-Lisa Keightley and Suzie Bates-Amy Satterthwaite for the most such stands.
A powerful boundary over mid-wicket off New Zealand captain Sophie Devine saw 25-year-old Pratika Rawal reach 1,000 WODI runs, becoming the joint-fastest to this milestone in women’s ODI history, achieving it in just 23 innings. This highlights an absolutely stellar start to her international career. Despite some earlier criticism regarding her strike-rate (82.82), Rawal earned the unwavering support of India’s head coach, Amol Muzumdar, and repaid that faith by notching her second WODI century and her very first in a Women’s World Cup match.
Rawal’s innings was a masterclass in elegant stroke play, featuring confident drives, sharp cuts, powerful pulls, and deft flicks. Demonstrating her versatility, she also proved her ability to clear the ropes, smashing two impressive sixes after reaching her hundred.
Following Rawal’s departure, Jemimah Rodrigues, who had been left out of the previous match to allow for an extra bowler, made a resounding statement. She blazed to a 39-ball fifty and, alongside Rawal, contributed a rapid 76-run partnership off just 58 balls for the second wicket. The Indian batters relentlessly attacked the New Zealand bowlers on what proved to be a batting-friendly surface. Rodrigues particularly targeted Eden Carson, hitting her for three boundaries in the 46th over alone.
Mandhana’s own batting spectacle culminated in her 14th WODI century, achieved off just 88 balls with a single. Her innings was a display of sheer class, adorned with 10 fours and three sixes. This remarkable milestone places her second only to former Australian captain Meg Lanning (15) in the list of most WODI centuries. This marked the dynamic left-hander’s fifth WODI century this year, a rare achievement for any cricketer in a single calendar year.
Mandhana’s exceptional form makes it unsurprising that she stands as the leading run-scorer globally in 2025, with an impressive 1259 runs to her name. Her dominance extends to the World Cup, where she is also the top scorer with 331 runs, including two half-centuries and a magnificent hundred. After a somewhat subdued start to the tournament, Mandhana has found her rhythm at the ideal moment for India, with her recent scores of 80, 88, and 109 demonstrating her peak form.
Although they began with a cautious approach, accumulating just 40 runs in the first ten overs, Mandhana and Rawal quickly shifted gears. Mandhana, in particular, showcased her full repertoire of strokes—efforts cuts, powerful drives, and commanding pulls—as she asserted dominance over the insipid New Zealand bowlers. Notably, two of her four sixes came off the bowling of leg-spinner Amelia Kerr.