In a stunning turn of events at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, India’s women’s cricket team experienced a heartbreaking four-run defeat against England, despite needing just 57 runs from 57 balls with four wickets still in hand. What appeared to be a comfortable chase ultimately unraveled, overshadowing the solid foundation laid by Harmanpreet Kaur and Smriti Mandhana.
Following the match, Smriti Mandhana, who was dismissed in the 42nd over, candidly took the blame for the team’s collapse. “Our shot selections could have been better, and it started with me,” she admitted. “I shouldered the responsibility because the collapse began with my dismissal. We only needed six runs an over, and perhaps we should have taken the game deeper.”
Mandhana reflected on her own performance, explaining, “I was attempting to clear the covers but mistimed the shot. It might not have been the right shot at that moment. I needed to maintain more patience throughout the innings; I kept reminding myself not to play aerial shots, but emotions got the better of me, which is rarely helpful in cricket.” Despite the unfortunate outcome, she confessed, “Walking back, I was quite confident we would secure the win.”
Addressing the team’s strategic adjustments, India opted for a six-bowler lineup to tackle ongoing balance issues in their campaign, leading to Jemimah Rodrigues making way for Renuka Singh Thakur. Mandhana clarified that the conditions in Indore and the necessity of finding the ideal combination were key factors in this decision. “In our last two games, particularly on flat pitches like Indore or the second match against Australia in Visakhapatnam, we felt that five bowling options weren’t sufficient, as one bowler having an off day could be very costly. Dropping a player of Jemi’s caliber was a tough call, but sometimes such decisions are necessary to achieve the right team balance.”
Mandhana also acknowledged India’s challenge in lacking batting depth that can contribute with a few overs, unlike rivals such as Australia, England, or New Zealand. However, she assured that the team’s composition would remain flexible, adapting to match-specific situations. “We don’t always have the luxury of batters who can bowl a few overs, which many other teams do. But this isn’t a fixed setup; we will assess the situation and the pitch conditions before making our decisions for each match.”
With their semifinal aspirations now hanging by a thread, India’s path forward is clear: they must secure victories in their remaining matches. Mandhana emphasized the team’s resilience, stating, “Nothing comes easy in cricket. Our next game against New Zealand will effectively be a virtual quarterfinal for a spot in the top four. We understand that there will be good days and bad days in sports; it’s about how we learn from the bad ones and push forward.”