India’s hopes of a smooth victory against England turned into heartbreak on Sunday, as the hosts lost by just four runs in a tense Women’s ODI World Cup match at Holkar Stadium. At one stage, India looked in total control, cruising at 234 for three in the 42nd over while chasing England’s 288 for eight. The defeat not only handed England a semifinal spot but also left India’s campaign hanging by a thread. To stay alive in the tournament, they now must win their remaining matches against New Zealand on 23rd October and Bangladesh on 26th October in Navi Mumbai.
Smriti Mandhana, who was batting beautifully on 88 off 94 balls, seemed poised to take her team home before she mistimed a shot off Linsey Smith and was caught in the deep by Alice Capsey.
Mandhana, visibly overcome by emotion, broke down in tears after returning to the dressing room. Reflecting on the team’s collapse, she shared, “I mean, it collapsed – everyone saw that. I think everyone’s shot selections at that time could have been better. It started with me, so I will take it on myself that the shot selection should have been better. We just needed six runs per over, and maybe we should have taken the game deeper.”
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who scored 70 and shared a 125-run stand with Mandhana, agreed that her deputy’s wicket changed the course of the match.
“I think Smriti’s wicket was a turning point for us, and I still think we had too many batters. I don’t know how things went the other way, but credit goes to England — they kept bowling well and getting wickets there,” she said at the post-match presentation.
