Mandhana, Rawal tons make India clinch last semi-final spot / Photo: Punit PARANJPE - AFP
Mandhana, Rawal tons make India clinch last semi-final spot
Centuries from Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal powered India to a 53-run win over New Zealand and into the Women's World Cup semi-finals on Thursday.
Defending champions Australia, England and South Africa have already booked their berth in the semi-finals of the eight-nation tournament.
Openers Mandhana and Rawal put on 212 runs as India posted a mammoth 340-3 in 49 overs at a rain-hit DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
The left-handed Mandhana hit 109 and Rawal struck 122 as the pair started cautiously but soon bossed the opposition bowling with boundaries galore.
In reply, New Zealand finished on 271-8, chasing a revised target of 325 in 44 overs to bow out of the semi-final race with a match remaining.
The White Ferns, led by Sophie Devine, have been unlucky with two abandoned matches due to rain in Colombo.
Co-hosts India bounced back from three defeats in a row to put up a clinical all-round show in their bid to win their first World Cup title.
Mandhana and Rawal took the match away from New Zealand during their marathon stand -- India's best for any wicket in the women's ODI World Cup.
Mandhana reached 100 with a single off Jess Kerr for her fifth hundred in 2025 and go level with South Africa's Tazmin Brits for most tons in women's ODI matches in a calender year.
She finally fell to Suzie Bates and walked off to a standing ovation from a raucous home crowd. The star batter hit 10 fours and four sixes in her 95-ball knock.
Rawal kept up the charge with Jemimah Rodrigues, who made 76 not out, to raise her maiden World Cup hundred and the pair put on 76 runs to further push New Zealand on the backfoot.
Amelia Kerr dismissed Rawal with her leg-spin but Rodrigues stood firm and hit regular boundaries.
Rain interrupted India's innings after the 48th over and it took over 90 minutes for the 49th and the last over to be bowled.
New Zealand's reply was delayed due to light drizzle and lost an early wicket when Bates departed for one off medium-pace bowler Kranti Goud in the second over.
Georgia Plimmer hit back in her 25-ball 30 but fell bowled to Renuka Singh's medium-pace bowling.
Renuka struck again to send back Devine bowled for six as New Zealand slipped to 59-3.
A late push by Brooke Halliday, who hit 81, and Isabella Gaze, who made an unbeaten 65, infused some life into the chase in their sixth-wicket stand of 72 but the asking rate always kept India in control.
Y.Hube--MP
