Rawal and Mandhana hit centuries to propel India into semifinals at Women’s Cricket World Cup

NAVI MUMBAI, India (AP) — Openers Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal scored centuries as India beat New Zealand by 53 runs (DLS) to reach the semifinals of the Women’s Cricket World Cup on Thursday.

Rawal top-scored with 122 runs — her maiden Cricket World Cup hundred — while Mandhana scored 109 runs, as the duo led India’s batting charge in Mumbai.

Jemimah Rodrigues then hit 76 not out off 55 balls as India finished with 340-3 in 49 overs before rain interruptions reduced the game to a 44-over affair.

New Zealand — chasing 325 — failed to get going despite Brooke Halliday’s 81 runs. The White Ferns can’t advance after three defeats and two no-results in six games.

The other semifinalists are South Africa, England and defending champion Australia.

India overturned its three-match losing run to register a third win in six games.

“It is a big relief qualifying for the knockouts,” said Mandhana, who was named player of the match. “The last three games were really tough — we played good cricket, but we did not win. Pratika deserves this award as much as I do and I am a little surprised. She is a good anchor and allows me to play my natural game.”

Put into bat, Mandhana and Rawal put on 212 runs for the first wicket — only the third instance of 200-plus scored by an opening pair in Women’s Cricket World Cups, and a first since 1988. Their first 50 runs came off 64 balls.

Mandhana then accelerated a bit — she got to 50 off 49 balls and then scored India’s first century of the tournament off the next 39 balls.

It was her third World Cup hundred and 14th overall in ODIs. She is now second behind Australia’s Meg Lanning (15 centuries) in the all-time list for women’s ODIs.

She pushed on for higher acceleration but ended up holing out to midwicket as India was 212-1 in 33.2 overs.

Overall, Mandhana hit 10 fours and four sixes off 95 balls. It was Mandhana-Rawal’s second 200-plus stand in ODIs.

Rawal followed suit shortly thereafter, and scored her second ODI hundred off 122 balls.

Rodrigues was promoted to No. 3, and she replied with 50 off only 38 balls. Overall, she hit 11 fours and put on 76 off 58 balls with Rawal for the second wicket.

After Rawal’s dismissal in the 43rd over, Rodrigues added another 48 off 35 balls with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (10).

Rain intervened twice — first, India’s innings was halted at 49 overs, and then a further delay caused a reduction in overs with nearly two hours lost to the weather.

New Zealand reply got off to a bad start.

Kranti Gaud (2-48) dismissed Suzie Bates for one. The Indian medium pacers troubled the top-order in tandem. Renuka Singh picked up 2-25 in six overs.

Georgia Plimmer (30) put on 50 off 48 balls with Amelia Kerr, who scored 45. Singh struck twice in consecutive overs — bowling Plimmer in the 10th and Sophie Devine for six in the 12th as New Zealand was 59-3.

Off spinner Sneh Rana got rid of Kerr to make it 115-4 and the game seemed lost for New Zealand.

Halliday and Isabella Gaze put on 72 off 64 balls to revitalize the innings, but it was too big an ask for them.

Gaze was unbeaten on 65 off 51 balls in the end.

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