NEW DELHI: Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur candidly described her team’s narrow four-run defeat to England as “heartbreaking.” She acknowledged that despite dominating significant portions of the match, India once again failed to secure victory in their Women’s World Cup group stage encounter on Sunday. The team had appeared poised for a win, with Smriti Mandhana scoring an impressive 88 runs and only needing 56 runs off 54 balls with seven wickets still in hand. However, England mounted a brilliant comeback, clinching their fourth consecutive win and securing a coveted semi-final spot alongside Australia and South Africa.
“Smriti’s wicket was the turning point for us. It’s a heartbreaking moment,” Harmanpreet stated during the post-match presentation.
While Mandhana and Harmanpreet were at the crease, India maintained a strong hold on the game, but ultimately, neither player could see the chase through to the end.
Earlier in the match, Heather Knight’s superb century, scoring 109 runs, had anchored England’s total of 288/8. India, in response, fell agonizingly short, finishing at 284/6. The collapse was initiated by left-arm spinner Linsey Smith, who dismissed Mandhana against the run of play. Deepti Sharma’s composed half-century offered a flicker of hope for India after Mandhana’s departure, but Sophie Ecclestone’s critical dismissal of the all-rounder in the final overs sealed England’s victory.
“It’s a bad feeling when you have put so much hard work in but the last 5-6 overs didn’t go according to the plan,” Harmanpreet further commented. “We still had batters, but I don’t know how things went the other way. Credit to England. They didn’t lose hope; they kept bowling and getting wickets.”
This defeat marks India’s third consecutive loss, following previous encounters against South Africa and Australia, pushing the co-hosts and pre-tournament favorites to the brink of elimination. In each of these three matches, India found themselves in a winning position but failed to convert it into a victory. Against Australia, they couldn’t defend a formidable score of 330, and against South Africa, they lost despite the opposition being seven wickets down while chasing 251.
“We are playing good cricket, we are not giving up, but have to cross the line. It’s been the last three games where we showed up with good cricket, but ended up on losing side,” Harmanpreet reflected. “Our bowlers did a really good job, because when Heather was batting they were looking very good. We did a lot right, but in the last five overs, we have to rethink.”
India’s path forward now includes a critical must-win clash against New Zealand in Navi Mumbai on Thursday, followed by their final group match against Bangladesh on October 26. Victories in both these games, combined with favorable outcomes in other matches, are essential to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
“Next game is very important,” the India captain concluded.