Bharath Ramaraj
The final moments of the India-Australia game were too much for the ever-smiling Jemimah Rodrigues. Tears of joy rolled down Jemimah’s cheeks during the post-match presentation. She just couldn’t control the gamut of emotions while talking about India’s earth-shattering victory over Australia in the 2025 World Cup semifinal.
She wasn’t the only person who struggled to handle the joy and happiness of pipping Australia. Those Indian cricket fans at the ground, and beyond, also would have shed a few tears. After all, India had done something that seemed impossible, overhauling a total of 338 against a team that hardly loses. Jemimah’s monumental hundred will be penned with an indelible ink. There will be chapters written on Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh too.
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Around two weeks ago, a different kind of emotion would have flashed through the minds of those girls sitting in the dugout. India had just lost a game to England where they seemed to be coasting towards an easy win. As the cameras zoomed in on Smriti Mandhana, one could notice the Indian vice-captain wiping a tear or two. The ultra-consistent batter had yet again made a valuable contribution to the team’s cause but couldn’t cross the final few hurdles. Some others were motionless, not knowing what had hit them.
Perhaps a few of the girls would have wondered – Why is sport so cruel? Time and again India had come close to winning important games – From the 2017 World Cup final to Commonwealth Games’ summit clash and the 2023 T20 World Cup semifinal. But there was one recurring theme to all those matches – Slipping to a defeat from a position of strength. The ongoing World Cup didn’t seem to be any different. Not just the loss to England, but even against South Africa, India had hurtled to a defeat after being in the ascendancy.
By the time India locked horns against Australia in the last-four, their woes had multiplied far beyond just on-field losses. Pratika Rawal, the second highest run-scorer of the tournament, was ruled out of the tournament with an injury. Ghosh, one of the vital cogs in the line-up, also was laid low by a niggle. Another potential fairytale story looked set to end on a bitter note.
Yet, the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side has chiseled out a way into the final. And that too after usurping the favourites in an edge-of-the-seat contest. So, could this be India’s watershed moment? Wait! South Africa, their opponent, too, would be thinking the same. After plenty of heartbreaks and gut-wrenching losses in the knockouts, they also have an opportunity to open the door of the trophy cabinet and claim their maiden World Cup title.
Just for a moment, you wonder whether India would come second best once again. Even if their World Cup campaign, full of ebbs and flows, doesn’t result in a triumph, there is no doubt that women’s cricket has come a long way in the country. From the days of Doordarshan showing only the final of the 2000-01 World Cup to not telecasting live feed of the summit clash in 2005, and the girls playing in front of packed houses at home, the shift has been a monumental one.
The icing on the cake will be for the experienced duo of Harmanpreet and Mandhana, and the rest of the squad members to chart their fairytale story and hoist the coveted World Cup trophy.
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