Australia opener Phoebe Litchfield sent the Indian cricket team on a leather hunt with a blistering century in the Women’s World Cup 2025 semi-final match at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Thursday. Opting to bat after winning the toss, Australia lost captain Alyssa Healy to a Kranti Gaud beauty just before rain stopped play in the sixth over but since the resumption, Litchfield took centre stage.
Litchfield blasted the fastest century in a World Cup knockout game to bring them to their knees very early in the contest. At 22 years and 195 days, Litchfield also became the youngest ever to reach a century in a Women’s World Cup knockout game, and the second-youngest for Australia in the competition’s history.
This was Litchfield’s maiden World Cup century and her third overall (two against India). The left-hander has a staggering record against the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side, scoring 627 runs at an average of 69.66 and a strike rate of 96.61.
Hundreds for AUS-W in ODI WC knockouts
170 – Alyssa Healy vs ENG-W, Christchurch, 2022 Final
129 – Alyssa Healy vs WI-W, Wellington, 2022 SF
107* – Karen Rolton vs IND-W, Centurion, 2005 Final
101* – Phoebe Litchfield vs IND-W, Mumbai DYP, 2025 SF
Litchfield, known for her innovative style of batting, didn’t allow any of the Indian bowlers to settle, targeting different areas of the field. She hit three sixes and 17 fours in his breathtaking innings of 119 off just 93 balls, scored at a strike rate of 127.95. It was mainly due to her exploits with the bat that Australia’s run rate never came down under six runs per over.
Her innings finally came to an end when she tried one of her cheeky shots against Amanjot Kaur by walking across the stumps to lap the ball fine. But for once, she failed to make any contact and the ball rattled her stumps.
Litchfield’s 155-run stand for the second wicket with Ellyse Perry set the platform for a huge total.
India did pick up a few wickets to bowl Australia out with one ball remaining but by then, they had already raced to 339 – the highest total by any team in a Women’s World Cup semi-final, surpassing South Africa’s 319 against England in the first semi-final of the ongoing tournament.
Apart from Litchfield, Ellyse Perry (77 off 88 balls) played a good hand while Ashleigh Gardner’s (63 off 45 balls) big hits put the Southern Stars in complete command after a shoddy bowling effort from India. Barring young spinner Shree Charani (2/49 in 10 overs), all other bowlers were sent to the cleaners with Deepti Sharma giving away 73 runs for his two wickets.
