It was 10:45 pm IST when the whole of DY Patil Stadium became a part of history forever. Joy, ecstasy, tears, hugs and laughs were just the physical emotions being displayed by the Indian players as they ran on the field as soon as Amanjot Kaur hit those winning runs. But deep down, it was a lot more. It was the Indian skipper crying her heart out, letting all those years of bottled emotions finally flow in front of the cameras. It was an overwhelmed and emotional Jemimah Rodrigues who had just steered her nation to a historic win, after being dropped earlier in the tournament. It was that moment where even a viewer who doesn't watch or understand cricket would have known that he/she has witnessed something special. An unforgettable night full of celebrations and emotions was being unfolded in front of their very eyes. Yes, India had just pulled off probably the greatest chase in women's cricket. India had just gone past Australia in a World Cup semi-final, chasing down the highest ever target. It was definitely the stuff of dreams, but far more than just a dream. View this post on Instagram A post shared by cricketgully (@cricketgullyofficial) The Aussies were undefeated in the ODI World Cups since their semi-final defeat in 2017. This means that they were on a 15 match winning streak since the 2022 WC and hadn't lost a single game in the last 8 years. It needed something special, something magical, something extraordinary to take your team over the line against them, that too in a knockout. And boy oh boy, the Indian girls did deliver something out of this world to book their place for the Final on Sunday. Multiple records were broken last night and history books were rewritten- some of them in golden words even. It was the Indian women's team finally burying the ghosts of Australia, after enduring countless heartbreaks by their hands in recent years. Every single time over the last few years, whenever it seemed like India were about to cross the finish line, some weird thing would happen out of nowehere and they'd choke right before the win. But this wasn't the case on 30th of October 2025 in Navi Mumbai. India held their nerves and ensured a win for the ages with 9 balls remaining. Greatest of Records Shattered Highest target chased down in Women’s ODIs: 339 IND vs AUS, Mumbai DYP, 2025 WC This is the first time a 300-plus total was chased down in an ODI World Cup knockout - Men’s or Women’s. India Women’s previous highest run-chase was 265. India’s 341/5 today is also the second-highest score in a Women’s ODI run-chase, after their own 369 against the Aussies earlier in the last month. The only previous instance of a successful 200-plus chase in a Women’s ODI WC knockout previously was 219 India had never chased down a 200-plus target in a Women’s ODI WC previously. Longest winning streaks in Women’s WC15 - Australia (2022-2025) - streak ended on Thursday15 - Australia (1997-2000) Highest match aggregates in Women’s ODIs781 - IND-W vs AUS-W, Delhi, 2025679 - IND-W vs AUS-W, Mumbai DYP, 2025 WC For the first time ever, a Women's World Cup final will feature neither Australia nor England. Batting Order Joins Hands to Weave Magic Chasing the target of 339 against Australia in a WC semi final meant pulling off something extraordinary, something which had never happened before. Not only did the Indian players do that, but they also did that in a commanding and professional manner. Despit losing both Shafali and Smriti early on, the duo of Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah never panicked throughout the chase and stitched a memorable partnership of 167 runs for the third wicket. After the departure of Harman (89 off 88), Jemi joined hands with Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh. Deepti and Richa added a combined 50 runs in just 33 balls, while playing with the strike rate of 141 and 162, respectively. These two were the ones absolutely vital to the chase as they provided the much needed acceleration while Jemi played out safely on the other end. Both of them also ensured that there was no collapse or momentum shift after their skipper fell. As the wicket of Richa fell and game went closer, everyone could feel their heartbeat picking up quite some pace as they sat on the edges of their seat. India needed 29 runs in the last 4 overs when Richa departed. Usually this is the time when India succumbs to pressure and fails to finish big matches but that's when Jemi ensured she takes her team home alongside Amanjot. The two fired 31 runs off just 15 deliveries to ensure a historic, historic win for their country and its fans. Coming in just in the second over of the innings, Jemi played a marathon knock of 127* and held one hand tightly, probably playing the best and most important knock of her life. A Revolutionary Night There are certain moments in life which are great but their memory and significance slowly fades away as time passes, and then there are moments in sports, society and culture which go on to reshape a nation's future, mindset and people. Everyone's personal life takes a pause just for a moment to discuss something common. Something greater than their mundane life. Something which gets people excited while discussing it with their friends. If you ask me, the Indian women's cricket might have just had its "that" moment on Thursday night while a jam-packed Navi Mumbai crowd cheered out loud for their women, and not just for their nation. There was not a single moment where one could point out and say "Oh the crowd would've been more passionate had it been a men's game." Such was the intensity of the match and the win. If it was Kapil Dev's India in 1983, it might well turn out to be Harmanpreet Kaur's India in 2025 who brings the change in the cricketing fraternity. Years or maybe decades down the line, who knows we'll have experts going "It was that one historical and magical night in the DY Patil Stadium that changed the course of women's cricket in India forever". Irrespective of the result on Sunday, this team has definitely earned something which will be talked about whenever there's a discussion on greatest chases. The BCCI should also pay attention to the fact that stadiums like the DY Patil come in full support of their team and leave no stone unturned in matching the passion, while Narendra Modi Stadium lacks the bare minimum passion and intensity required for an international match. It is the cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata which make a sport and sportspersons thrive, push them to do better, provide a great atmosphere to the fellow people in the crowd. Meanwhile cities like Ahmedabad who have no sporting or pop culture, always witness a dull and dead crowd with empty stands. This neither is a good advertisement for the sport nor a great motivation to the athletes. Also Read: Watch Alyssa Healy drops easy catch, gives life to Jemimah Rodrigues One Final Push After riding the high of Thursday, the Indian team would realise that they need to regroup and make that one final push together on Sunday in order to lift the ICC World Cup trophy for the first time. India will be facing South Africa in the Final on the same venue as the women's cricket is set to have a new world champion. It is to be noted that the Proteas haven't won the World Cup either. It is also set to be the the first W-WC Final with neither Australia nor England. All said and done, India can be mighty proud of themselves for pulling off probably the greatest chase in Women's cricket and this event might just change how people view and follow women's cricket in India.