The greatest way to describe Australia’s shocking loss to India in the World Cup semifinals was to quote Alyssa Healy. “Un-Australian,” she described it as. The word hit home because it was accurate in multiple ways. The seven-time champions amassed 338 on the main stage, but they inexplicably failed to make runs after Phoebe Litchfield’s incredible century had set them up for victory.
The lines faltered and the ball moved. The leg side was hit by far too many deliveries, including the one that got rid of Smriti Mandhana. The most shocking finding was that the “clutch gene” was not present in the field. Healy and Tahlia McGrath both squandered easy opportunities to relieve Jemimah Rodrigues, whose 127* would go down as one of the most iconic knocks an Indian player has made in a World Cup knockout match.
Consequently, women’s cricket saw a record pursuit, paving the way for Sunday, November 2, to see the crowning of a new champion. Australia also lost two World Cup semifinals in a 12-month period. This was the first time they had missed the final of successive ICC tournaments since the launch of the T20 World Cup in 2009.
But they’re going to be perplexed by this one. Despite having won all 16 of their ODIs going into the match and easily advancing through the World Cup league stage, Australia managed to falter at the very last second. Healy had the unfortunate responsibility of interpreting everything in the immediate aftermath in his capacity as captain.
“I think ultimately we just weren’t sharp enough probably today, probably in all three facets, definitely to give ourselves the opportunity to win that semi-final,” Healy commented. “We held up fairly well, in my opinion. In that sense, we let ourselves down after creating a lot of chances. I’m sure I’m sitting here feeling disappointed because we kind of did that to ourselves. It doesn’t detract from the Indian performance. They played quite well, in my opinion. Yet, there is a small component of us failing ourselves occasionally.
Ironically, after winning the toss and batting first, I believe we could have done a little better and scored a few more. That being said, we believed we were doing well around the midway point. In the end, I believe we dished up a little too much junk to hit at times and most likely just didn’t take advantage of the openings we did create because we felt we still had a pretty significant job to do with the ball. So, it’s frustrating. The feeling of not being as clinical as we typically are is a little un-Australian. Sitting here knowing how well we’ve performed in this World Cup is a little disheartening,” Healy continued.
Healy couldn’t quite figure out why Australia, who often have the best separation from the pursuing group, had such an unusually loose day in the field. “They undoubtedly altered the outcome of the game by dropping catches. Pressure from the semi-finals? Possibly. Was it simply a matter of concentration? Was it something? We could blame it on anything, I’m not sure. It was unfortunate, though, to create the opportunities we did and not take advantage of them on a fairly good track that appeared to be becoming better and better to bat on as the evening wore on.
Strangely enough, I believe we had four or five overs left. Five overs left, probably. I believe we were still involved. When cricket matches get tight like that, funny things happen. You can make things happen if you can exert enough pressure on an opposition. So, yes, she [Rodrigues] did a great job tonight. Although we gave her a few chances, which obviously didn’t assist us, I thought she played incredibly well. The mental fortitude she shown to help her squad cross the finish line was admirable, in my opinion. Thus, she deserves all the praise.
Though it was difficult to avoid the deja vu, comparisons might be lazy. Australia suffered another generational blow when they lost to India in the ODI World Cup eight years prior. Following that Derby defeat, Australia analyzed their white-ball cricket and came out on top once more, collecting trophies for their own amusement. The next generation, lead by Litchfield, is prepared to carry on their legacy, but Thursday’s defeat may not necessitate a complete makeover.
“I think first and foremost, I think the opportunity for some of our players to play in a really high-pressure situation like that is going to do wonders for our group,” Healy stated. Additionally, I believe that this occurred in 2017. We considered that and concluded that we could have performed somewhat better under pressure, improving on a few key areas of our game going forward.
And I believe we made that change going forward, as demonstrated by the last cycle in 2022. I guess this is simply another reminder to our group that we can improve in small areas of the game. However, I believe that putting our group through that, putting us under pressure, and seeing how we react would be really beneficial to us going forward.”
Healy looked past the pain of the evening, even in loss, to the potential impact a first-time champion—India or South Africa—could have on the women’s game. It’s absolutely awesome, and I believe it’s a showcase for this competition. I believe I’ve heard a lot of people claim that, in terms of ODI World Cups, this is the closest competition they’ve ever participated in.
I also inclined to agree. When you examine at the performances, it’s clear that rain had some influence in Colombo, and the bottom four teams most likely experienced additional consequences.
But I thought it was pretty great that there were actually eight teams in the running for the finals,” Healy remarked.
Additionally, I believe that the game will benefit much from the appearance of a new winner. First and foremost, I think it’s fantastic that they have the chance to play it at home in front of their supporters in an ODI World Cup final; it will be a truly memorable experience for them. It is my hope that it would have a positive impact on both South Africa and Indian cricket. They’ve come close in the past, so I believe it will be exciting to watch them get a chance in a final. Although it will be somewhat painful, it will be amazing to see, and ideally it will lead to significant advancements for the global game and increased funding for each of these countries in the future.”
India
