India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has pinpointed the final overs as the crucial turning point in their Women’s World Cup defeat to Australia. Despite a stellar 155-run opening partnership between Smriti Mandhana (80) and Pratika Rawal (75), India faltered in the latter stages of their innings, ultimately falling 30-40 runs short of a potentially match-winning total. India reached a strong position at 198 for one in 30 overs, but a collapse saw them lose nine wickets for 138 runs, being bowled out in the 49th over for 330. This inability to capitalize on a strong start proved costly, as Australia chased down the target with seven wickets down in 49 overs, thanks to a brilliant 142 from Alyssa Healy. Kaur acknowledged the missed opportunity, stating in the post-match presentation, ‘The way we started, we could have added 30-40 more runs. We missed runs in the last six overs, and that cost us.’ She also highlighted the underperformance of the lower order compared to previous matches. Despite the setback, Kaur expressed confidence in her team’s ability to bounce back and secure a semi-final spot.
