India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana took full responsibility for her team’s heartbreaking four-run defeat to England in the Women’s World Cup in Indore on Sunday, admitting that her dismissal triggered the batting collapse that cost India a crucial victory. The loss marked India’s third consecutive defeat in the tournament, putting its semifinal hopes in jeopardy.
Chasing a target of 289, India appeared firmly in control for much of the innings. Mandhana anchored the chase superbly, scoring 88 runs and building two vital partnerships — 125 with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and 67 with Deepti Sharma.
However, with India needing less than a run-a-ball, Mandhana’s mistimed lofted drive to long-off changed the complexion of the match. What followed was a dramatic collapse, as Richa Ghosh hit straight to cover and Deepti Sharma holed out soon after, leaving India short despite a promising foundation.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Mandhana admitted that her poor shot selection at a crucial stage sparked the downfall. “I think everyone’s shot selections at that time—we could have done better,” she said. “Especially it started from me, so I will take it on me, that the shot selection should have been better. We just needed six runs per over. Maybe we should have taken the game deeper.”
The left-hander reflected on how emotions got the better of her as she deviated from her plan of playing patiently. “I thought I could take her on. I mistimed that shot. Maybe the shot wasn’t needed at that time. I just needed to be more patient. Emotions took over for that one, which never helps in cricket,” she admitted.
India’s batting collapse mirrored their struggles in the previous game against Australia, where the top order laid a strong platform only for the middle order to falter. Yet, Mandhana defended her teammates, noting that even England had struggled to accelerate late in their innings.
“Going in and trying to get seven per over is not an easy thing. In the first few matches, we finished well — against South Africa, we scored 90-plus in the last 10 overs,” she said. “It’s about us experienced players putting our hands up in those situations.”
India’s team management made a tactical shift for this fixture, replacing batter Jemimah Rodrigues with pacer Renuka Singh to strengthen the bowling attack. Mandhana justified the move, explaining, “On flat tracks like Indore, five bowling options are not always enough. It was a tough call to drop a player like Jemi, but we had to get the balance right.”
With three consecutive losses, India now faces a must-win scenario in its remaining two group-stage matches to keep its semifinal hopes alive. For Mandhana and her team, the focus will be on regaining composure and learning from the narrow defeat as they look to keep their World Cup campaign afloat.
