Phoebe Litchfield's Century Heroics: How She Powered Australia to World Cup Final

Skipper Alyssa Healy hammered a sensational century -- 142 off 107 balls -- when the two sides met in the group stage as Australia won by seven wickets at the ACA-VDCA International Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

In the second semifinal on Thursday, though Healy was sent packing for just five runs, Litchfield stepped up to torment the Indians, powering her way to a brilliant 119 off 93 balls to lay the foundation for Australia's mammoth 338 all out in 49.5 overs.

Litchfield was aggressive from the start, slicing, driving, pulling and reversing against an Indian bowling attack that struggled to impose itself in overcast and humid conditions. She raised 155 runs for the second wicket with Ellyse Perry (77), paving the path for the defending champions to storm into their eighth final in 50-over cricket.

Litchfield was elated to reach the personal milestone but was also happy to have helped the team post a 300-plus score and given them a good chance of joining South Africa in the final.

"It was awesome - for the personal milestone, from the team perspective, nice to get over 300 and put a competitive total on the board," she told the official broadcaster in the mid-innings break on Thursday.

She said they assessed the conditions and managed to take down the spinners when they came to bowl.

"Just assessing the wicket, taking down the spinners when they bowled into my areas. Credit also to Pez (Ellyse Perry) to keep me going. Full team effort to get to 338," said Litchfield.

The 22-year-old left-handed batter used the switch hit/reverse hit merrily against the Indian spinner.

"I usually hit there because the fielders are not there.

Though she said they would have readily taken the score of 338 at the start of their innings, Litchfield felt they could have got a few more runs towards the end.

"We would have taken that at the start out there. But probably left a few runs out there," she added.

- IANS