Team India lost their second straight Women's WC 2025 match, falling to Australia by 3 wickets despite posting 330. Smriti Mandhana's 80 set records, but a middle-order collapse, weak bowling, and fielding errors hurt India's semi-final hopes.

Team India suffered their second loss on the trot in the Women's ODI World Cup 2025 with a defeat to the defending champions Australia at Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, October 12. The Women in Blue lost by three wickets to Australia, who remain unbeaten with three wins in the tournament.

After posting a total of 330, India failed to defend the total as Australia chased a 331-run target in 49 overs, with skipper Alyssa Healy playing a phenomenal match-winning knock of 142 off 114 balls. Shree Charani led the Indian bowling attack with three wickets, while Deepti Sharma and Amanjot Kaur picked two wickets each.

As Women in Blue lost back-to-back matches after a great start to their campaign, let's take a look at the key takeaways from India's defeat to Australia in Vizag.

Team India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana bounced back strongly with a record-breaking innings of 80 off 66 balls, alongside a solid 155-run opening partnership with Pratik Rawal (75 off 96 balls). After a string of performances with scores of 8, 23, and 23 in the first three matches against Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and South Africa, the southpaw turned her game around, showcasing her trademark timing and aggression.

With her 80-run knock, Smriti Mandhana shattered multiple ODI records, including the first woman player to amass 1000 runs in a calendar year, fastest and youngest to 5000 runs, and the first player to register five consecutive fifty-plus scores against Australia. Additionally, Mandhana was involved in the most number of 100+ opening partnerships for India in Women's ODIs.

Despite the solid foundation laid out by Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal through their 155-run partnership for the opening wicket, there was not enough effort from the fellow batters to capitalize on the start, as India's middle and lower order struggled with consistency. Decent contributions from Harleen Deol (38), Jemimah Rodrigues (33), and Richa Ghosh (32) took Team India to 293/5 in 43 overs.

However, from then on, India's innings faltered as the remaining batters failed to maintain the momentum. After Jemimah's dismissal at 309/6, India's batting collapsed to 330 all-out, losing four wickets in just 21 runs after a promising start, highlighting the ongoing struggles of India's middle and lower order under pressure in the Women's World Cup 2025.

India's bowling was not up to the mark as they allowed Australia batters, especially skipper Alyssa Healy, to settle at the crease and build crucial partnerships. Shree Charani was India's most successful bowler, picking three wickets, including Healy, while conceding 41 runs. However, the rest of the attack lacked penetration and failed to put pressure on Australian batters, who were taking advantage of India's loose deliveries to steadily accumulate runs.

Kranti Gaud (0/73), Amanjot Kaur (2/68), Sneh Rana (0/85), and Deepti Sharma (2/52) conceded over 50 runs in their respective spells, which highlighted India's lack of control in the middle overs. Ineffective bowling plans by Team India cost them crucial breakthroughs, allowing Australia to gain momentum and chase down a record 331-run target with relative ease.

One of the talking points from Team India's defeat to the defending champions is the lapses in the fielding placements. Apart from great catches by Sneh Rana and Jemimah Rodrigues, the team struggled with position and execution throughout the match. The misfieldings, especially in crucial moments when Australia's batters were building the momentum, allowed the opposition to convert singles into doubles and doubles into boundaries while sustaining partnerships.

A lack of proper fielding placements allowed Australian batters to easily find the gaps, keeping the scoreboard ticking and making it difficult for the bowlers to apply pressure or create wicket-taking opportunities during the defending champions' run chase.

After having a great start to their maiden Women's World Cup title quest with two successive wins against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, Team India's campaign has taken a setback with two consecutive defeats, first against South Africa and now against Australia. The two successive losses have raised concerns about Team India's middle and lower-order reliability, bowling strategies, and fielding inefficiencies.

India are currently at the third spot on the points table with four points from four matches, and any slip-ups further in the tournament could see them drop out of the top four on the points table, jeopardizing their chances of qualifying for the semifinal of the tournament. The Women in Blue will next lock horns with an unbeaten England at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Sunday, October 19.

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