India’s Smriti Mandhana walks out after being dismissed during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup India 2025 match between India and England at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on October 19, 2025 in Indore, India. (Photo: Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images) Indore: Moments after India suffered a heartbreaking four-run defeat by England – even though at one point it looked like they were heading for an easy victory – star opener Smriti Mandhana did not shy away from raising her hand and taking some of the blame for India botching the chase in a crucial Women’s World ODI 2025 match at the Holkar Stadium on Sunday.At 234 for three in the 42nd over, the tournament hosts appeared to be cruising to victory with Mandhana scoring 88 off 94 balls in pursuit of England’s total of 288 for eight. They had seven wickets in hand and needed just six runs to get over when the catchy left-hander edged Alice Capsey off Linsey Smith in the deep – marking the start of a complete momentum shift that saw India manage just 50 runs in the last 52 balls for the loss of three wickets.
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England qualified for the semi-finals after a spectacular comeback, while India – whose World Cup campaign is fast unraveling – now need to win both their remaining matches, against New Zealand on October 23 and Bangladesh on October 26 at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, to stay in contention.There was still hope of reaching the final with 14 runs needed and Amanjot Kaur and Sneh Rana at the crease but Smith conceded just nine.“I mean, it fell apart – everybody saw it. I think everyone’s shot selection at that time could have been better. It started with me, so I’ll take it on myself that the shot selection should have been better. We only needed six (runs) on the power play and maybe we should have deepened the game,” a dejected Mandhana said after the game.India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, who hit 70 and shared a 122-ball partnership of 125 with Mandhana for the third wicket, also felt that the Indian vice-captain’s dismissal was the turning point in the chase.“I think Smriti’s wicket was the turning point for us and I still think we had too many batsmen. I don’t know how things went the other way but credit goes to England – they bowled well and got wickets there,” Harmanpreet said at the post-match presentation.Harmanpreet, who found it hard to swallow the feeling of faltering in the last leg of a match they had in their hands for most of the time, said, “It’s bad because you put in so much hard work and ticked the boxes till the end but the last 5-6 overs didn’t go as planned. That’s the worst but it’s definitely a very heartbreaking moment.”“We are playing good cricket; we are not giving up. But the last line we have to cross now because it has been the last three matches where we have shown good cricket,” she added.Questions were also directed at the composition of the Indian team for the crucial match against England, with India leaving out Jemimah Rodrigues to accommodate pacer Renuka Singh Thakur. It meant that India went into the game by one strike. Staying firm on her decision, Harmanpreet said, “These things will continue because I think things were under control when we were batting with Smriti. And I think Smriti’s wicket was the turning point for us. But still we had Richa, Amanjot and Deepti who have won matches for us in the past. But unfortunately we couldn’t do that today.”
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It is clear that India are too dependent on explosive wicketkeeper-batsman Richa Ghosh, who was out for a 10-ball eight, for big hits to finish the innings. However, Mandhana defended the lower order that saved India in the first two matches of the competition against Sri Lanka and Pakistan. “Obviously, Richa was good for us but I wouldn’t say it was down to her. We only needed 6.5 in the over – it’s not like we needed nine. The last over was a lot to ask for, but we’ve seen Aman (Amanjot Kaur) do it in the WPL (Women’s Premier League) and Sneh (in the first three last at-bats) has been brilliant for us. We’ll all take it upon ourselves to be in the last six the odds could have been better,” she said.Despite India suffering three straight losses – all against SENA countries – Mandhana has backed her side to bounce back in their next tournament encounter against the White Ferns on Thursday. “Nothing is easy in cricket. The next match will certainly be a virtual quarter-final in terms of making the top four and you don’t play cricket to have easy days. We will all take it in our stride. We all know where we could have been better and where we went wrong. If you play a sport, you are supposed to have good days and bad days,” she said as she moved.
