Ton-up Rodrigues takes India to World Cup final after record chase against Australia
Navi Mumbai (PTI): Jemimah Rodrigues played the innings of her life, slamming a century for the ages as India pulled off a record chase to storm into the Women’s World Cup final with a five-wicket win over defending champions Australia here on Thursday.
Chasing a record target of 339, Rodrigues anchored the innings brilliantly with an unbeaten 127 off 134 balls, while skipper Harmanpreet Kaur made a crucial 89 off 88 deliveries.
Deepti Sharma (24) and Richa Ghosh (26) also chipped in with handy contributions as India overhauled the target with nine balls to spare.
India will face South Africa in the final.
Earlier, opener Phoebe Litchfield’s 119 off 93 balls was the cornerstone of Australia’s massive total of 338 all out in 50 overs in the second semifinal.
Apart from Litchfield, Ellyse Perry (77 off 88 balls) added stability during a 155-run stand for the second wicket, while Ashleigh Gardner provided late fireworks with 65 off 45 balls after Australia opted to bat first.
It was a tough day for the bowlers as only young spinner Shree Charani (2/49 in 10 overs) managed to contain the flow of runs. Deepti Sharma (2/73) picked up a couple of wickets but proved expensive.
For Australia, Kim Garth (2/46) and Annabel Sutherland (2/69) were among the wickets.
Brief Scores:
Australia 338 in 50 overs (Phoebe Litchfield 119, Ellyse Perry 77, Ashleigh Gardner 65; Deepti Sharma 2/73, Shree Charani 2/49).
India 341-5 in 48.3 overs (Jemimah Rodrigues 127 not out, Harmanpreet Kaur 89; Kim Garth 2/46).
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
