Australia demolished South Africa by seven wickets in the final league match of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 at Indore’s Holkar Stadium on Saturday, confirming a blockbuster semifinal clash against hosts India on Thursday at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Stadium. Leg-spinner Alana King delivered a spellbinding 7-18—her maiden seven-wicket haul and the best bowling figures in Women’s World Cup history—to skittle South Africa for a paltry 97 in 24 overs. Australia chased the target with 199 balls to spare, securing the top spot in the league table and an unbeaten run through the group stage. India, locked into fourth place regardless of Sunday’s result against Bangladesh, now faces the daunting task of toppling the six-time champions on home soil.

King’s masterclass eclipsed every South African batter of note. After Laura Wolvaardt’s brisk 31 threatened an early surge, King dismantled the middle order with surgical precision: Sune Luus (caught at mid-on), Marizanne Kapp (edged to backward point), Chloe Tryon (golden duck), and Nadine de Klerk all fell in a dizzying collapse. Her seven victims included two maidens, marking the finest performance by an Australian in women’s ODIs. Beth Mooney (42) and debutant Georgia Voll (38*) then steered the chase past early hiccups—Phoebe Litchfield and Ellyse Perry dismissed cheaply—to seal victory in the 18th over. The win capped Australia’s dominance, averaging over six runs per over across the tournament while conceding the fewest boundaries.

For India, the semifinal pits Harmanpreet Kaur’s resurgent side against a juggernaut that has won 28 of its last 30 completed ODIs. India’s campaign has been a rollercoaster: three consecutive losses mid-tournament threatened elimination, but emphatic victories over Sri Lanka and New Zealand—bolstered by Smriti Mandhana’s consistency and Deepti Sharma’s 14 wickets—clinched their knockout berth. Richa Ghosh’s finger injury remains a concern, though bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi expressed confidence in her recovery. Navi Mumbai’s dew-heavy conditions could neutralise India’s spin trio of Deepti, Radha Yadav, and Sneh Rana, forcing reliance on pace spearhead Renuka Singh Thakur against Australia’s formidable top order.

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The matchup revives a storied rivalry: Australia has won four of the last five World Cup encounters, including the 2022 final. Yet India, buoyed by home support and a 2023 bilateral series win, carries momentum. Captain Harmanpreet emphasised mental fortitude post-New Zealand: “We’ve shown we can beat anyone when we play to potential.” With the title on the line and a nation watching, Thursday’s semifinal transcends sport—it's a chance for India to end Australia’s hegemony and script history in front of packed stands. As King’s record-breaking spell echoes, India’s challenge is clear: conquer the unconquerable.

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