We weren’t able to capitalise on our opportunities, says Alyssa Healy after loss against India

Australian captain Alyssa Healy admitted they weren’t able to take their chances in the World Cup semifinal against India at Navi Mumbai and it led to their downfall. Healy felt they left runs out there in the middle after electing to bat first and they were not at their best in the field as they could not hang on to their chances.

Australia were 220-2 in the 34th over and looked all set to cross 350-run mark at one stage but lost wickets in a hurry to be bowled out for 338 runs. Subsequently, Alyssa Healy and Tahila McGrath gave two chances to Jemimah Rodrigues, who went on to score an unbeaten knock of 127 runs off 134 balls.

“I mean, good contest in the end,” she said after India pulled off the highest chase in women’s ODIs to dethrone the champions and set up a summit clash with South Africa on Sunday. “Probably reflecting on that, we did that to ourselves a little bit. It’s probably the first time that I’ve felt like we’ve done that. So, we probably didn’t finish off with the bat, didn’t bowl that great and dropped all our chances in the field, and still hung in there until the second last over. So, I mean, we can take something out of that, but ultimately, outdone in the end.”

“I think we created enough [chances]. We created pressure,” Healy said. “We created opportunities. We just weren’t able to capitalise. And, you know, I’m at fault for that as well, and I think that’s something that Australia really prides itself on.”

Healy said they were not able to take their chances and let the game slip, which was disappointing for them.

“We kind of let ourselves down in that regard today. So that’s probably why it’s disappointing. It felt a little bit similar this time last year, sort of going out playing, you know, not the way that we wanted to play,” she said, comparing this defeat to the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final loss to South Africa. “So we’ll learn from that. We’ll grow. And I think our one-day cricket will hopefully improve since.”

India will next take on South Africa in the final clash.