India lost their second consecutive match at the 2025 Women’s World Cup on Sunday, succumbing to a three-wicket defeat to Australia at Visakhapatnam. The loss leaves the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side in third place on the points table, with four points in four matches and a net run rate of 0.682, and three matches left in the league phase. India’s semi-final qualification chances are still in their hands. If they manage to win each of their remaining three matches, that will take them 10 points and confirm their final four berth in the tournament. If they win two out of the three matches, that would take them to eight points on the table, and qualification would depend on the net run rate. However, if India lose two out of their remaining three matches in the tournament, then they will be eliminated from the semifinal race. The hosts began the tournament on a positive note, beating Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Guwahati and Colombo, respectively. However, close losses to South Africa and Australia have increased the pressure on the side to lift their game and return to winning ways. They next face England at Indore on Sunday, before taking on New Zealand (October 23) and Bangladesh (October 26) at the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. A key focus for India ahead of the England fixture will be how they try to include a sixth bowling option in the playing XI to bolster that department. Runs from Smriti Mandhana’s bat, who made 80 off 66 balls on Sunday, would have come as a relief, for the batter, her team-mates, and the rest of the support staff. The one factor that could work in India’s favour, if the qualification scenario comes down to net run rate, is that they will be playing the final league phase fixture of the tournament against Bangladesh on October 26. That would perhaps give them clarity on what they will need to do to qualify for the semis, either batting first or second. India had missed out on the semifinals in the 2022 edition of the World Cup, when they had lost to South Africa in the last league phase fixture at Christchurch. The match turned out to be Mithali Raj’s final international appearance for India.
