India’s Women’s World Cup 2025 campaign faces a precarious cliff-edge after a heart-stopping four-run loss to England at Holkar Stadium. With three consecutive defeats, the hosts now teeter on the brink of elimination, raising questions about their batting depth and finishing nerves under pressure.
Mandhana-Harmanpreet Rescue Falls Short
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Chasing 289, India seemed in control at 42 for 2 in ten overs. Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur orchestrated a calculated counterattack, stitching a crucial 125-run partnership off 122 balls. Mandhana, after a slow start, found her rhythm while Harmanpreet played her most fluent innings of the tournament. Their combined efforts highlighted India’s reliance on the senior duo, especially after Jemimah Rodrigues was dropped for extra bowling firepower via Renuka Singh.
Yet, cricket is a game of margins. In the 42nd over, Linsey Smith’s clever around-the-wicket drift forced Mandhana into an aerial shot that ended her 88-run knock, effectively shifting the momentum. As Harmanpreet later admitted, “Smriti’s wicket was a turning point for us,” leaving India scrambling despite contributions from Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, Amanjot Kaur, and Sneh Rana.
Bowling Under Pressure: India’s Struggle to Contain England
India’s bowlers initially threatened England’s innings, led by Deepti Sharma, who kept the opposition from breaching 320-plus. However, England’s left-arm spin duo exploited India’s historical vulnerability, with consistent lines and angles that stifled scoring opportunities. Once Mandhana fell, England’s spinners tightened the screws, restricting India to 31 runs for 2 in six overs of spin.
Harmanpreet summed up the pressure succinctly: “It’s a bad feeling when you put so much hard work and take the game to the end. But the last five-six overs didn’t go to plan.” The Indian team did not crumble entirely—they simply couldn’t break England’s stranglehold during the tense final overs.
Cracks in the Middle and Lower Order
India’s recurring pattern in this World Cup has been inconsistent performances across their batting line-up. Against South Africa, the top and middle order failed while the lower order rescued a modest total. Against Australia, the reverse occurred—the top order laid the platform but the tail faltered. Sunday’s loss to England combined both flaws: strong partnerships were undone by a lack of finishing touch and composure in crunch moments.
Harmanpreet’s post-match remarks revealed both frustration and reflection: “I don’t know how things went the other way… but credit goes to England. They kept bowling well and kept getting wickets.”
Is World Cup Semi-Final Qualification Still Possible?
Despite the setbacks, India’s campaign is not over. With two remaining fixtures against New Zealand and Bangladesh at DY Patil Stadium, there is still an outside chance of a semi-final berth. Recent history offers hope—England themselves had lost their first three games in the 2022 World Cup yet fought back to reach the semis and eventually finished runners-up.
The Indian team may need to rethink its combinations: do they require a sixth specialist bowler, or would an additional batter provide the balance needed to weather tense chases? Holding nerves under pressure will be key to ensuring cracks do not widen further.
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