Phoebe Litchfield extended her remarkable record against India with a blistering century in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 semi-final, scoring the fastest hundred in women’s World Cup knockout matches — off just 78 balls.
The left-handed opener once again proved to be a nightmare for India’s bowlers, dismantling their attack with her wide range of sweeps and reverse sweeps. Before this semi-final, Litchfield had already amassed 508 runs in eight innings against India, averaging 63.50 with one century and four fifties. Her latest hundred in Navi Mumbai not only lifted Australia into a commanding position but also pushed her average against India beyond 75 — an extraordinary feat against one of the most competitive teams in women’s cricket.
Litchfield is the fourth Australian to score a hundred in this Women’s World Cup 2025 after Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney.
This was Litchfield’s second ODI century against India and came at a crucial stage of the IND-W vs AUS-W Women’s World Cup 2025 Semi-Final, reaffirming her growing stature as one of the world’s most reliable young batters. She was eventually dismissed for 119 by Amanjot Kaur with Australia cruising to 180.2 in 27.2 overs at the time of dismissal.
| Matches | Runs | Highest Score | Average | 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 627 | 119 | 69.66 | 2 |
Last month, in an ODI at New Chandigarh, she had fallen just short of a ton, scoring 88 before being dismissed while attempting a reverse sweep off Sneh Rana. Reflecting on that innings, Litchfield had said:
She also highlighted the influence of her senior teammates in guiding her temperament and game awareness, adding:
“I just tried to take the game on and get the team ahead of the rate… I probably got a bit fixated on the reverse (sweep), but I back that shot. It’s so great batting with the skipper, Ellyse and Beth, it makes my job very easy. It’s nice to have a calm head out there. Sometimes my head’s racing, but they’re masters of their craft, they’re really good at starting and keeping me going but also batting ridiculously well (themselves).”
In the IND-W vs AUS-W semi-final, her aggressive intent nearly backfired when she was given out on 62 after a reverse sweep off Shree Charani went to short third man — only for replays to show it was a bump ball. She made full use of that lifeline, storming to a breathtaking century that underlined her dominance.
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With over 600 runs in nine ODIs against India, including two centuries and four fifties, Phoebe Litchfield’s record against India stands among the best in modern women’s cricket. Her fearless 78-ball ton — the fastest hundred in women’s World Cup knockout matches — showcased her incredible composure and shot-making ability under pressure, cementing her reputation as one of the most exciting talents in the game.
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