India’s captain, Harmanpreet Kaur, has opened up about the missed scoring opportunities that contributed to their three-wicket loss to Australia in the Women’s World Cup. The foundation laid by openers Smriti Mandhana (80) and Pratika Rawal (75), who shared a 155-run partnership, saw India at 198 for one after 30 overs. However, the team struggled to accelerate, losing nine wickets for just 138 runs and being bowled out for 330 in the 48.5 overs. Kaur stated that the lack of runs in the final six overs was a significant factor in the defeat. ‘Not batting well in the last six overs cost us,’ she commented, estimating that 30-40 additional runs could have been scored. Australia’s captain, Alyssa Healy, played a match-winning innings of 142, guiding her team to victory with seven wickets down. Kaur also addressed the inconsistent performance of the lower-order batters and defended the team’s five-bowler strategy, emphasizing its past success. The focus now shifts to regrouping and securing a semi-final berth.
