India’s batting order at last clicked in the Women’s World Cup 2025, with openers Smriti Mandhana (80) and Pratika Rawal (75) complementing each other with a dominating 155-run stand their highest opening in the tournament so far. With this base, India went on to record a strong 330-run total against defending champions Australia, for the first time that any team had gone past the 300-run barrier against them in World Cup history.
But the euphoria was short-lived as Aussies completed a record chase with six wickets in hand and over to spare, laying bare the fissures in India’s finishing and bowling plans.
In spite of the encouraging beginning and being strongly placed at 294 for 4 in the 43rd over, India had a spectacular meltdown. The tailenders lost their wickets in the last six for only 36 runs as the lower order failed to capitalize on the strong foundation. Australia’s Annabel Sutherland capitalized, taking her maiden five-wicket bag and mowling through the tail to dismiss India in 48.5 overs.
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Following the defeat, captain Harmanpreet Kaur conceded that the team left runs on the table.
“The way we started, we could have added more 30-40 runs. We missed runs in the last six overs and that cost us,” said Harmanpreet in the post-match presentation. “It was a good batting wicket, but not batting well in the last six overs cost us.”
“Openers have been outstanding, because of them we have been scoring 300 runs. The last five overs cost us. Last three games we were not able to bat in the middle overs. Our lower order took responsibility,” Harmanpreet added. “Today the first 40 overs were good. It is important how we come back, these things happen.”
“We’ll sit and discuss. This combination has given us success. Two bad games are not going to make a difference,” said Harmanpreet
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India’s choice of having only five frontline bowlers a strategy employed to strengthen the batting unit again came under fire as the bowling department could not prevent the Australian batters from firing on all cylinders. However, Harmanpreet defended the team strategy, claiming that the approach in itself was not the problem.
India will now seek to make amends with their next important game against England, to be played in Indore on Sunday.
