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Australia vs England ended quickly in Perth, as Australia wrapped up the first Ashes Test inside two days. They chased 205 easily after a bowler-dominated match as Travis Headâ€s century changed everything. Head walked in and immediately shifted the momentum. He reached his century in only 69 balls, hitting freely and breaking Englandâ€s control.

Labuschagne kept the chase steady, reaching 51 with a six before guiding Australia to the winning runs. The win gave Australia a 1–0 lead in the five-match Ashes series.

Mitchell Starc had already set up the match earlier with one of the best spells of his Ashes career. Across the two innings, he completed a ten-wicket haul, taking seven in the first innings and three in the second. His performance carried Australiaâ€s attack at a time when regular quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were missing.

The opening day had been chaotic, with both sides bowled out for under 200 and 30 wickets falling in under a day and a half. But once Head began his counterattack in the chase, the Test swung firmly toward Australia, and the match ended with a dominant win at Optus Stadium.


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The Ashes 2025: Travis Head hit a blazing 69-ball century in the Australia vs England 1st Test in Perth

Travis Head produced a stunning innings in the first Ashes Test in Perth, scoring a century in just 69 balls after being pushed up the order because Usman Khawaja was injured. He reached his hundred with 12 fours and four sixes, turning the match firmly towards Australia. The speed of his innings put him alongside David Warnerâ€s 69-ball hundred in 2012, and only Adam Gilchristâ€s 57-ball effort at the same ground was faster for an Australian. Only Brendon McCullumâ€s 54-ball century sits above them all in Test history.

His knock came immediately after Scott Boland and Mitchell Starc tore into England with a fierce spell after lunch. England had reached 65 for 1 and looked set to build a strong second-innings lead before those two quicks removed four wickets in four overs. England recovered briefly but were still bowled out for 164 just before tea, setting up the chase that Head controlled so aggressively.

The Ashes 2025: When is the next Australia vs England Test?

The next Australia vs England Ashes Test is the second match of the 2025–26 series, and it will be played in Brisbane on Thursday, 4 December. It is a day-night game that will use a pink ball. Play begins at 14:00 local time, which lines up as 04:00 GMT and 09:30 IST.

This Test comes nine days after the scheduled final day of the first Test in Perth, although the first match is expected to finish early because 19 wickets fell on the opening day. After Brisbane, the rest of the series will move through Adelaide, Melbourne, and then Sydney.

The first session will run from 09:30 AM to 11:30 AM IST, followed by a dinner break from 11:30 AM to 12:10 PM IST. The second session will then take place from 12:10 PM to 02:10 PM IST, followed by a tea break from 02:10 PM to 02:30 PM IST, and the final session will run from 02:30 PM to 04:30 PM IST.

FAQs

Q. When will the 2025 Ashes start?

A. The 2025–26 Ashes series begins on 21 November 2025 and ends on 8 January 2026.

Q. Has Australia won the Ashes in England?

A. Yes. Australia has won multiple Ashes series in England. They also retained the Ashes with a draw in the 2023 series.

Q. Has England ever won a Test series in Australia?

A. Yes. England has won the Ashes in Australia 14 times, most recently in the 2010–11 series.

Q. Who has won the Ashes the most times?

A. Australia has won 34 Ashes series and retained six more through draws, giving them control in 40 editions. England has won 32 and retained one, totaling 33.

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You never know what can happen in a company where someone has a guaranteed title shot. This weekâ€s TNA Wrestling iMPACT only proved that.

During this weekâ€s live episode of TNA Wrestling, the TNA World Title was on the line. This match was quite a main event segment for the show as well.

The night ended with a TNA World Title match, but they didnâ€t get very far. About five minutes into the match, NXT stars Lexis King, Charlie Dempsey, Stacks, Brooks Jenson, and more jumped into the ring to attack Santana.

The match was called off after that, and although TNA Wrestling stars tried to run down for the save, the NXT talent stood tall at the end. Santana was laid out, and then the NXT Superstars left. After that, Frankie Kazarian ran down with his Call Your Shot gauntlet trophy to cash in.

Although Santana didnâ€t go down without a fight, he did end up getting pinned after a roll-up. The night ended with Frankie Kazarian as TNA World Champion, and Santana was a beaten man.

NXT and TNA Wrestling have an ongoing situation, and this partnership between the two sides has opened up a lot of new possibilities. Now, it appears that the TNA World Title is not safe anymore, even after Santana won it back for his company.

We will keep a close eye on this story for more information. Only time will tell how this pans out when it comes to TNA Wrestling and NXTâ€s ongoing partnership.

Whatâ€s your take on how this TNA World Title match ended on iMPACT this week? Do you think that they should have gone a different direction? Let us know what you think in the comments section!

November 13, 2025 10:07 pm

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First Test, Sylhet International Cricket Stadium (day two of five)

Ireland 286: Stirling 60; Miraz 3-50

338-1: Joy 169; Humphries 1-78

Ireland won the toss

Scorecard

A career-best 169 not out from Mahmudul Hasan Joy has helped Bangladesh take a firm grip on the first Test against Ireland after day two in Sylhet.

The visitors entered the day two n 270-8 after four late wickets on Tuesday had given Bangladesh the upper hand at the close of play.

Ireland managed to add just 16 further runs to their tally as they lost Matthew Humphreys lbw to Taijul Islam for a two-ball duck before the innings ended with Barry McCarthy bowled by Hasan Mahmud after two early boundaries helped him to respectable tally of 31.

Bangladesh had no such issues with the bat with Joy cutting loose as the day progressed to surpass the 100 mark with a double century now in his sights.

His opening partner Shadman Islam did fall on 80 when caught by wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker from Humphreys’ delivery, but Mominul Haque would pick up the baton with 80 not out.

With the pitch offering little assistance to the bowlers, it was a flying start for Bangladesh as they wrapped up Ireland’s first innings before making rapid inroads with the bat.

Joy hit 14 fours and four sixes in the 283 balls he faced over the day, surviving a scare on 156 to remain at the crease as Paul Stirling missed the catch.

Shadman had been closing in on his century as he hit nine fours and also a six but his partnership with Joy concluded at 168 with Humphreys getting the dismissal he had been threatening.

However, it was a wicketless third session of the day with the hosts hitting 140 in 30 overs with Haque settling after a few close calls when attempting to sweep, hitting five fours and two sixes on his way to 80 not out to help Bangladesh into as healthy position going into day three.

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      Joey Lynch is a Melbourne-based sports journalist and AYA cancer advocate. Primarily working on football, he has covered the Socceroos, Matildas and A-Leagues for ESPN for over a decade.

Nov 9, 2025, 10:27 PM ET

There are several ways that one could react upon watching David Rodriguez rise through a thick blanket of snow to net the equalising goal for Atlético Ottawa in Sunday’s Canadian Premier League final.

The most likely of which would be some kind of incomprehensible noise of appreciation at the 23-year-old Mexican’s ability to get up despite the slippery conditions, swing his boot over his head and rocket a bicycle kick off the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net.

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Very quickly, however, your focus would almost certainly come to settle on the thick blanket of sleet that was covering the pitch, in combination with the heavy flurry continuing to fall, and wonder just how, even allowing for the hardy winter reputation of the Canadians, a game of football could be played in such conditions. Up to 20cm of snow hit Ottawa over the course of Sunday, but with a postponement out of the question, snowploughs were called into action throughout the day to try and clear the pitch and allow for an eventually delayed kickoff in the Canadian Premier League decider.

Once play actually began — the orange winter ball behaving as one would expect in the conditions — proceedings were frequently stopped by the match officials to allow for clearing to ensure the pitch markings remain visible. At one point Ottawa goalkeeper Nathan Ingham even picked up a shovel to help clear the field and get play moving once more. A shouting match then broke out between Atlético coach Diego Mejia and opposition Cavarly FC boss Tommy Wheeldon Jr over the absence of substitutes on the former’s bench.

Citing the example of participants at the FIFA Club World Cup leaving their substitutes in the dressing room to avoid the heat, Atlético had instructed their reserve players to remain inside to avoid the fierce elements at kickoff, which Wheeldon Jr took issue with. The referees eventually sided with the Cavalry boss, and the Atlético bench returned to the frozen tundra that was TD Place.

Given the scenes, let alone the spectacular nature of Rodríguez’s goal, the game has already been touted as one that will go down in Canadian footballing folklore. The … icing … on the cake also came from Rodríguez: the 23-year-old popped up again in extra-time to chip Cavalry keeper Marco Carducci and secure his side the North Star Cup, as well as a berth in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

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The Sixers brought back their black jerseys and returned to winning ways Saturday night.

The team earned a 130-120 victory over the Raptors at Xfinity Mobile Arena in the debut of its throwback uniforms honoring the 2000-01 Eastern Conference champion team.

The Sixers now sit at 6-3. Toronto is 5-5.

Six Sixers scored in double figures. Trendon Watford recorded his first career triple-double with a tremendous performance, putting up 20 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists. Tyrese Maxey had 31 points and seven assists. Joel Embiid tallied 29 points in 26 minutes.

The Sixers remained without Paul George (left knee surgery recovery) and Dominick Barlow (right elbow laceration). Johni Broome was unavailable because of a right ankle sprain.

The Sixers will host the Pistons on Sunday night. Here are observations on their win over the Raptors:

Watford shines as starter

Watford made his first start as a Sixer and scored the teamâ€s first basket on a slam assisted by VJ Edgecombe.Â

The Raptors and Immanuel Quickley were ultra-hot out of the gates. Toronto started 6 for 6 from floor and took a 15-7 lead on Quickleyâ€s pull-up three-pointer..

The Sixers replied with a 13-0 run spurred by forced turnovers and open-floor attacks. Edgecombe and Maxey nabbed early steals. Watford jammed in a put-back dunk and assisted a Maxey corner three.

Watford had been excellent as a backup point guard Wednesday in the Sixers†loss the Cavs. He was awfully strong as a very versatile starting forward against Toronto.Â

The Sixers ran tons of pitch actions with Watford on the court in the first quarter. Their perimeter players were often able to get a downhill head of steam off of both dribble handoffs and fake handoffs. Watfordâ€s ability to read the defense and react sharply was a major help.

He posted 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting, three rebounds (two offensive) and two assists in the first period.

Stars lead Sixers†push back

Despite that big run, the Sixers still had a rough overall start defensively. Toronto poured in 43 first-quarter points and had a 10-point advantage after 12 minutes.

The Raptors went up 51-37 early in the second quarter on a Jaâ€Kobe Walter corner three. They began a scorching 10 for 12 beyond the arc.

Ultimately, Torontoâ€s shooters cooled off and the Sixers†defense was much better in the second quarter. Embiid also played good, aggressive basketball in his second stint. A Watford high-low feed set Embiid up for a layup that cut the Sixers†deficit to two points. Eventually, a short jumper from Kelly Oubre Jr. (19 points) gave the Sixers a 58-56 edge.Â

With Embiid sitting, Maxey was stellar late in the second quarter. His lefty scoop layup with 1.9 seconds left in the first half put the Sixers up 68-63.

Saving Embiid for the home stretch

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse used five players off the bench. Surprisingly, Jared McCain was not among them. The second-year guard was available to play (with limited minutes) for the second time since returning from a right thumb UCL tear.Â

The Sixers†starters had a few defensive lapses early in the third quarter. Brandon Ingramâ€s mid-range jumper knotted the game at 78-all.

Watford and Maxey then fueled a fantastic stretch. Both played zealous defense, hustling back into plays to contest and block shots. They were also in the middle of fluid, highly effective offense. Watford dished a between-the-legs assist to Maxey, whose three put the Sixers up 94-82.

The Sixers fared badly with Maxey out late in the third quarter. Edgecombe had his third consecutive subpar shooting game, going 5 for 15 from the floor. A Quickley runner early in the fourth trimmed the Raptors’ deficit to 102-101.

Although the Sixers made an immediate 7-0 run, Toronto hung around. Nurse saved Embiid for the final minutes, calling timeout and subbing him in with the Sixers up 119-116 and 3:16 to go.

The tide swiftly turned.

Edgecombe converted a driving layup, Oubre slammed in a second-chance dunk and Embiid tipped in his own miss. Handling Embiid’s minutes restriction is often tricky, but having him on the floor down the stretch tends to make plenty of sense.

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The MLB offseason can arrive very quickly, as the Los Angeles Dodgers just showed with Justin Dean.

The Dodgers announced Thursday they had outrighted the young outfielder, one week after he made a heads-up play that helped save Game 6 of the World Series. The San Francisco Giants soon revealed they had claimed Dean off waivers, sending Dean to the other side of the NL West rivalry.

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The move was made to clear room on the 40-man roster, as the Dodgers also outrighted reliever Michael Grove and designated starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin for assignment.

Dean entered baseball lore last week when he chased down a long fly ball from Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Addison Barger that got wedged under the padding of the Rogers Centre outfield wall. At the time, Toronto was up 3-2 in the series and was trailing by two runs in Game 6.

With a runner already on base, Barger ran all the way around the bases for what many at Rogers Centre believed to be a game-tying inside-the-park homer. However, he was only free to run because Dean had decided not to field the ball. Instead, he raised his arms to signal a lodged ball, which caused the umpires to call the play a ground-rule double.

Had Dean tried to field the ball, a run would have likely scored for the Blue Jays.

That play wound up being rather significant when Ernie Clement popped out and Barger got caught by Kiké Hernández for a game-ending double play. After the game, Dean credited Hernández in left field for yelling at him to put his arms up rather than play the ball.

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The play remains controversial for some fans, but the rules, in both the MLB rulebook and the Rogers Centre ground rules, are clear. It was a ground-rule double, especially considering the ball was wedged in there enough that it deformed the padding.

Dean is a former 17th-round pick who spent most of his 20s in the minor-league system of the Atlanta Braves before signing a minor-league deal with the Dodgers last offseason. He had a very specific role on the roster as a dedicated pinch-runner and defensive specialist. He is still waiting for his first major-league hit, but already has a World Series ring.

TORONTO, ONTARIO - OCTOBER 31: Justin Dean #75 of the Los Angeles Dodgers fields a ground-rule double hit by Addison Barger #47 of the Toronto Blue Jays during the ninth inning in game six of the 2025 World Series at Rogers Center on October 31, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The 2025 World Series was full of what-ifs for the Toronto Blue Jays. The Justin Dean play was one of them. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

(Gregory Shamus via Getty Images)

It’s fun to win a World Series ring, but Dean was also on a team that clearly didn’t see him as an MLB hitter, either now or in the future. The Giants are apparently a bit more confident.

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The only way that game could have ended was with a free throw.

Thanks to two missed free throws from San Antonioâ€s Julian Champagnie with 0.2 seconds remaining, the Lakers survived 118-116 Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs in a disjointed game that dragged on for nearly three hours and included 66 total fouls and 84 free throws.

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The Lakers (7-2) won their fifth consecutive game, fighting through exhaustion from playing in their third game in four days and a short rotation without guard Austin Reaves. At halftime, players and coaches acknowledged how tired they felt. Coach JJ Redick said when he woke up at 6:30 a.m. Wednesday “it was like a bus had hit me.â€

But the team that still hasnâ€t approached its fully healthy form rallied in a way that continued to impress its coach.

“Our group is so connected right now,†Redick said. “We were able to get back together and there was no quitting, there was no splintering.â€

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Here are three takeaways from the game:

Defense wins championships

Marcus Smart couldnâ€t believe the stat line. Five steals and two blocks for who?

“Lukaaaaa,†Smart said, elongating Luka Doncicâ€s name while smiling toward his star teammate who was sitting with his feet in an ice bucket with ice bags wrapped around his knees.

Doncic matched his career high for steals in a regular-season game Wednesday. The guard averaging 40 points per game claimed his defense was the only thing he did well on a night when he finished one rebound short of a triple-double. While collecting 35 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds, he was an inefficient nine-for-27 from the field and four-for-11 from three. He missed four free throws, turned the ball over four times and, after picking up his fifth foul with 7:58 remaining in the fourth, nearly fouled out.

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The last fact took Rui Hachimura by surprise.

“I’ve never seen him like that,†Hachimura said. “But you know, he’s trying to be more aggressive [on defense] and that’s what we need from him, too.â€

Redick said Doncic had a few games when he started slow defensively in terms of physicality and engagement, but has been overall “really good†this season. Even when he was switched on to Spurs star Victor Wembanyama or point guard Stephon Castle, Doncic still competed well.

“There wasn’t matador defense,†Redick said. “He still guarded. And that was huge. The reason we won the game is because we guarded in the fourth quarter. Our fourth-quarter defense was the No. 1 reason we won the game.”

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The Lakers limited the Spurs to 36.8% shooting from the field during the fourth quarter while forcing six turnovers. Wembanyama was held to 19 points on labored five-for-14 shooting with eight rebounds. He was nine-for-11 on free throws and fouled out with 1:40 remaining when he bowled over Hachimura.

Hachimura delivers the plays of the game

Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, right, celebrates with coach JJ Redick during the second half of Wednesday's game.

Lakers forward Rui Hachimura, right, celebrates with coach JJ Redick during the second half of Wednesday’s game. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Redick credited Hachimura with the two biggest plays of the game. Besides drawing Wembanyamaâ€s sixth foul, Hachimura also hit a three-pointer off a Doncic assist that put the Lakers up by two with 5:15 remaining. Redick said it exemplified Hachimuraâ€s unique ability to go long stretches seemingly without even touching the ball but still knocking down key shots.

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“Somehow mentally, I have to be kind of ready for the moment,†Hachimura said. “… But I think that comes with patience and my mindset to be ready for the moment.â€

Hachimura is one of just three Lakers players who have played in all nine games this season as the Lakers have rolled out seven different starting lineups. He finished with 15 points, including two made three-pointers that came in critical situations. He put the Lakers up by one with 4:57 remaining in the second quarter as the team erased a 10-point first-half deficit. A double team pinned Doncic close to the baseline and the guard nearly hopped out of bounds while slinging a one-handed pass over his head to Hachimura, who splashed the shot.

The Spurs called a timeout. Doncic approached Hachimura and bowed to him in appreciation.

“He told me I didn’t pass him the ball today, so I got to do that more,” Doncic said jokingly. “No, jokes aside, I think he’s been amazing. Just staying ready in the moment. And he’s a great guy, too. So that kind of people you want to have on your team and the start he’s having, it’s very underrated and we need him to keep going.”

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Lakers hopeful Austin Reaves can return for upcoming trip

Reaves missed his second consecutive game with right groin soreness. The guard participated fully in shootaround on Wednesday before the game and even got an extra workout after the morning session to test his injury, but was held out after consultation from staff and trainers.

Redick hopes Reaves can return by Saturdayâ€s game against the Atlanta Hawks, which would be six days since he was injured during the first quarter against the Miami Heat.

But “weâ€re not going to put him at risk,†Redick emphasized.

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“It was the right decision, both from him and from performance, to hold him out tonight,†Redick said. “Those injuries, or a further injury on that, is hard. I’ve had ’em. I’ve had surgery, we’re trying to be safe with him.â€

LeBron James is four weeks removed from being diagnosed with right sciatica and was supposed to be reevaluated for his return soon. But the upcoming five-game road trip could be a difficult situation for the 40-year-oldâ€s potential season debut.

The Lakers begin in Atlanta on Saturday, then travel to Charlotte and Oklahoma City with one day in between each game before finishing with a back-to-back in New Orleans and Milwaukee next Friday and Saturday, respectively. After that, the schedule clears up with just one game against the Utah Jazz during the following week.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Jamie Oleksiak also scored for Seattle, and Joey Daccord finished with 29 saves.

Andre Burakovsky scored for Chicago and Arvid Soderblom stopped 21 shots.

Less than three minutes into the second period, Oleksiak snapped a wrist shot from the blue line, and it snuck through a cluster of players, including Soderblom. It was Oleksiakâ€s second goal of the season.

Following a tripping penalty by Blackhawks center Ryan Donato midway through the second period, Seattle scored its second goal of the game just 8 seconds into its first power play. Eberle saucered a backhand pass to Beniers in the slot, and the Kraken forward finished it off for his second goal of the season.

Chicago finally broke through against Daccord in the third period on a breakaway chance.

Burakovsky, who spent the last three seasons with the Kraken before an offseason trade to the Blackhawks in exchange for Joe Veleno, was all alone in front of the Kraken net thanks to a textbook feed from former No. 1 overall pick Connor Bedard.

Eberle pushed Seattleâ€s advantage back up to two goals late in the third period. Following a Chicago turnover in the neutral zone, the Kraken captain potted his team-leading fifth goal of the year with 3:55 remaining in regulation.

The Kraken improved to 4-0-2 at home this season while Chicago dropped to 2-3-2 on the road.

Defenseman Connor Murphy skated in his 500th career game with the Blackhawks.

With a 6-2-4 start to the season, the Kraken are off to their best start 12-game start as a franchise.

Blackhawks: At Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night.

Kraken: Host San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night.

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How does one describe such stuff? To begin with, commentator Ian Bishop labelled this the greatest run chase in Womenâ€s ODI cricket.

The context to that was not only that India recorded the highest successful run chase in WODI, gunning down the target of 339; it was more about beating the indomitable, defending champions Australia, who were on a 15-match winning streak in the ICC Womens World Cup and had blown away every opposition in the league stage, in a semi-final at home.

Not to forget that Australia had themselves set up this record earlier this month when they chased 331 against India in Vizag.

India were far from their best in the league stage, winning three and losing three matches. And they were sloppy in the field and inconsistent with the ball today in the semi-final at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.


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But, like Harmanpreet Kaur did eight years ago in the 2017 Womenâ€s World Cup semi-final against the same opposition, Jemimah Rodrigues played an innings of a lifetime. If Kaurâ€s innings turned a page in Indian womenâ€s cricket history, Rodrigues†innings may be the start of a new book as India face South Africa on Sunday, with the Protea women set to play their maiden Womenâ€s World Cup final.

On Sunday, in the India vs South Africa final in Navi Mumbai, we are sure to get a new Womenâ€s World Cup winner.

ICC Womens World Cup India vs Australia Semi-Final Report

Australia won the toss and elected to bat first. And though the skipper Alyssa Healy was dismissed for a single digit, her opening partner Phoebe Litchfield and No. 3 Ellyse Perry not only steadied the ship, but they also brisked along in their stand of 155 (133).

The left-hander raised a terrific century, finishing with 119 off 93 balls, and the veteran Perry scored 77 off 88. As India chipped in with regular wickets, Ashleigh Gardner provided Australia a late-order impetus, smoking 63 runs off 45 balls as the defending champions ended with 338.

In the tall run chase, India were pegged back early as openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana were back in the hut inside 10 overs. But then came a partnership for the ages between Rodrigues and Harmanpreet.

The duo played classy and largely risk-averse shots, and at the same time, didnâ€t let the required run rate go much beyond seven runs per over in their partnership of 167 (156).

Kaur threatened an encore of 2017 but was outdone by Sutherland for 89 off 88. As Rodrigues held her end, bringing up her century and keeping India alive, Deepti Sharma and Richa Ghosh played sparkling cameos of 24 (17) and 26 (16) to bring India near the finishing line.

As India had done many times previously, this time they didnâ€t panic: Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur (15* off 8) crossed the finishing line and propelled India into the final. An emotional Jemimah Rodrigues was in tears while receiving her Player of the Match award for her outstanding knock of 127* off 134 balls.

Fans on Twitter erupted in joy and celebrated Indiaâ€s victory over Australia in the ICC Womenâ€s World Cup semi-final.

Twitter Reactions As Jemimah Rodrigues Helps India Knock Out Australia And Enter The Final

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OTTAWA — Of the endless series of hugs being offered up by Zayne Parekh as he waded through a crowd of 50 friends and family members Tuesday night, none could possibly have meant more than the lengthy embrace with his mother.

Three years after the Calgary Flames†first rounder left home to play junior, there they were, celebrating his first NHL homecoming in the bowels of the same Scotiabank Arena in which his big-league dreams were formed.

And while the money, the spotlight, the pressure, the expectations and the size of her son have all grown exponentially since Mona Lee first offered up those post-game hugs at local arenas around Markham, Ont., the comfort a momâ€s unconditional support is still as essential as it is cherished.

After all, heâ€s still just a kid.

“I was doing his laundry last night, so he’s still my little boy,†smiled Mona, her voice full of warmth and pride following his first NHL game in Toronto.

“He trotted home all his laundry. I picked him up last night from the hotel and did his laundry for him. We had some dinner and watched the Jays and got him ready for tonight, so didnâ€t keep him out long. Just a couple of quick cycles in the machine, and then we had to get him back.â€

What a perfect reminder of just how much is being asked of a smiley, happy-go-lucky teen well ahead of his 20th birthday.

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The post-game celebration masked the underlying stress of Parekhâ€s rocky transition from Ontario Hockey League superstar to NHL defenceman without the safety net of the American Hockey League to help.

Unaccustomed to second-guessing himself, being unsure positionally and being muted offensively, the first person he reached out to before the post-game reception was his father, Azim, whose advice has always been as important as his embrace.

“He texted me after the game and said, ‘I was lost out there,â€â€ said Azim, an upbeat dentist from India, and one of the emotional rocks Zayne has forever leaned on. “I said, ‘no buddy, you were awesome.†He’s so critical of himself. I always tell him after the game, ‘watch the game tomorrow, you made a lot of great plays, and at the end of it, just take the positives out of them and then work on the stuff that you need to work on, and the team will help you with it.—

Dad knows itâ€s a delicate balance between nurturing confidence, while acknowledging the challenges involved with a teen taking the leap from junior phenom to finding your feet in a manâ€s league.

“You’re not going to turn into the player you are in 10 days,†advised Azim, well aware his son is anxious to get on with fulfilling expectations as the teamâ€s most exciting prospect since Matthew Tkachuk.

“At the end of the day, there’s guys that develop over a long period of time, and heâ€s a defenceman.â€

Parekh is living that reality, opening the season as a healthy scratch the first two games, and spending every game since as the Flames†sixth man.

Defensively heâ€s the first to admit heâ€s still a work in progress.

Offensively, heâ€s seen time running the top power-play unit, but has just one assist in nine games — a drought the likes of which heâ€s never endured.

Pressure mounts on him to contribute more, without the luxury of being eligible for a much-needed minor league stint.

At Thursdayâ€s practice he skated as the Flames†seventh defenceman, making him a likely candidate to watch Thursdayâ€s game against Ottawa from the press box.

“I think at the end of it youâ€ve just got to earn the coachâ€s trust,†said Azim, whose endless pride in sharing his sonâ€s triumphs and tribulations is evident.

“Once he owns the coach’s trust, and the trust of the guys around him, then the leash just gets longer. Itâ€s that whole confidence loop: You have a little bit of confidence, you get opportunity, you succeed. If you succeed, you get more ice time, and it builds your confidence. Zayne is smart enough, and I think he’ll figure it out.â€

Azim knows that loop, however, can spiral the other way just as quickly.

“The team isn’t setting him up for failure,†he said.

“From that perspective, if he doesn’t have a lot of bad moments, the confidence will stay there. But it could go the other way real quick.â€

So overflowing is Zayneâ€s support system that he had to enlist help from Nazem Kadri and the NHLPA to accommodate the endless ticket requests he fulfilled for Tuesdayâ€s spin at Scotiabank Arena, where the Flames lost their ninth game in ten outings.

Frustration abounds, for more than just the rookie.

But in some ways, thatâ€s nothing new for a perfectionist like Parekh.

“From time to time, I remember going down to Saginaw — we didn’t miss too many games — and he’d come out and say, ‘I don’t think I was really good tonight,â€â€ said Azim, whose son is the only one besides Bobby Orr to record back-to-back 30-goal seasons as an OHL defenceman.

“He doesn’t recognize the little things he does, and the little plays he makes. For me, it’s just a matter of keeping his confidence high, making sure he’s having fun and just being that support guy, and him knowing that he’s safe around me? If he’s not safe around me, who’s he gonna be safe around?â€

Itâ€s a beautiful reminder that behind every young NHLer is a family that has provided unconditional support and made endless sacrifices so that phases like these donâ€t seem like insurmountable obstacles.

“With the team and the players that are here, heâ€s the luckiest guy in the world,†said Azim of his sonâ€s new environment.

“Think about being 19 and being at this stage. It’s been a fun ride for him, right? I mean, he left home at 16. He’s still a little boy, right?â€

Repeating what heâ€s told his son so many times on the phone and after a warm, post-game embrace, “Itâ€ll happen.â€

His game will progress, his confidence will flourish.

And the smooth skating kid from Markham knows his parents will be there to support him through every step and stumble, with late night texts, road-trip laundry stops and hugs in the hallway.

Because no matter how much he grows as a player and a person, heâ€ll always be their little boy.

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