Follow UsIndia now have a problem: qualification.
What seemed like a certainty at the start of the Women’s ODI World Cup 2025 now seems to be in grave danger for the hosts. After starting the tournament with two impressive wins (vs Sri Lanka and Pakistan), India have found themselves in great danger of missing out on a semi-final spot, with a third straight loss in the tournament, this time against England, on October 19 (Sunday).
After England opted to bat first in the must-win clash, India made a crazy comeback with the ball to restrict England to just 288/8 after 50 overs. Even though India needed to break a record to chase it down, it seemed like a certainty at one point when Harmanpreet Kaur (70) and Smriti Mandhana (88) were toying with the bowlers.
Kaur’s dismissal might have shifted the gears slightly, but Deepti Sharma ensured that India had the run chase under wraps, with a 66-ball 67 run partnership. But then everything started to crumble when Mandhana played a casual swipe, getting out at the worst possible time in the run chase.
Deepti couldn’t time her innings any better, as she found the deep fielder, as India’s batting depth was heavily tested. The depth didn’t really matter in the end, as India failed to cross the line, losing the clash by four runs. With that, India set a terrible record, losing three consecutive games in the World Cup for the first time in almost 50 years.
It sealed a semi-final spot for England, who became the third side, after Australia and South Africa to reach the last four. The fourth spot now is a two-way battle between New Zealand and India, with the clash between the two sides becoming a virtual quarter-final.