Power Couple’s Streak Ends: Mitchell Starc’s Presence Couldn’t Save Australia in Semi-Final 2

India sealed their place in the final by defeating Australia in the ICC Women's World Cup semi-final, doing the impossible. Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet Kaur led the historically significant chase of 339 runs. When Australia put a huge 338 runs on the board in the first inning, they were far ahead in the game. The Indian women, however, were committed to making the occasion memorable and writing history in their own country.

Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues restored the innings with a record 167-run stand for the third wicket, after losing openers early in the chase. Meanwhile, as both giants met each other at the grand stage of the ICC event, cameras caught Mitchell Starc in the stands.

Alyssa Healy Mitchell Starc: Supportive Couple in Cricket

Australia's pacer Mitchell Starc was seen supporting his wife and Australia's captain, Alyssa Healy, during the Women's ODI World Cup semi-final match against India from the stands at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Alyssa Healy partner, Mitchell Starc, always supports his wife whenever he is not playing cricket. Watching his wife play in the knockout matches and supporting the team is always a priority for him. As Starc took time off to see Healy's team in a high-stakes quarterfinal match, the couple who have frequently made news for their mutual support across men's and women's cricket attracted attention once more.

Both Starc and Healy have consistently stood by each other's careers, often traveling together during major tournaments. Healy was with her husband, Starc, during the Indian Premier League earlier in 2024, and Starc has been spotted visiting his wife's games frequently, including at the Women's T20 World Cup 2024. At Mount Manganui, Starc was at the stadium to see his wife, Alyssa Healy, record a 170 in the 2022 World Cup final. Meanwhile, Starc also watched the Women in Yellow defeat India in the final of the 2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup at the MCG.

However, the fortune was not on their side as Healy had a bad start to the semi-final in spite of Starc's presence. Healy walked back to the dressing room after being dismissed on 5 runs by India pacer Kranti Gaud. Starc's continued presence at these important matches demonstrates their strong bond and mutual support.

Jemimah Rodrigues Shines in IND-W vs AUS-W

Despite the initial setback, the Australian Women have made great improvements thanks to the clinical partnership between Phoebe Litchfield and Ellyse Perry, which has provided stability. Meanwhile, a small cameo from Ashleigh Gardner helped the Australian women to reach a fighting total of 338 runs on the scoreboard.

As Indian women aimed to chase down the huge total, Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana went back to the pavilion early and put the team in trouble as the score was 59 for 2, while facing a formidable opponent. India played a gamble by sending Jemimah to the Number 3 spot in the semi-final. But Jemimah Rodrigues displayed a great performance not just in terms of technique and timing, as she scored an unbeaten knock of 127 off 134 balls.

The crucial partnership between her and Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored an excellent 89 off just 88 deliveries, helped India win the game. India will face South Africa in the Final of the ICC Women's World Cup 2025. The new name will be inked on the Women's World Cup trophy as the best women's cricket teams are aiming for the tournament for the first time.