Australia's captain, Alyssa Healy, has confessed that their Women's World Cup semi-final loss to India is still weighing heavily on her mind. The defeat, which took place in Navi Mumbai, saw India successfully chase a record-breaking 339 runs to secure their place in the final. Healy admitted the loss "will hurt for a little while".
Speaking on the Willow Talk Cricket podcast with former wicketkeeper-batter Brad Haddin, Healy reflected on the game and the team's performance throughout the tournament. "Look, I've been better. I won't lie to you," Healy said, acknowledging the lingering disappointment. Despite the setback, she praised her team's overall performance during the seven-week tour, where they "played some really really incredible cricket".
Australia entered the semi-final as the overwhelming favorite, carrying a remarkable 15-game winning streak in World Cups. The team had posted a formidable 338 runs, thanks to Phoebe Litchfield's maiden World Cup century. Ellyse Perry contributed a fluent 77. However, Healy felt they could have added more runs. "Actually thought it was under-par," she conceded.
India's chase was anchored by Jemimah Rodrigues, whose record-breaking unbeaten 127, along with Harmanpreet Kaur's 89, propelled their team to victory. Healy acknowledged Rodrigues' exceptional innings, stating, "I thought her resilience; I think her mental resilience out there to get her team over the line was exemplary". She also admitted that a dropped catch when Rodrigues was on 82 proved to be a turning point.
Reflecting on Australia's performance with the ball, Healy felt they "missed a little bit" at the back end and "weren't quick enough to adapt to bowling a change of pace". She also pointed out that the team failed to capitalize on the opportunities they created, which is uncharacteristic of Australian teams in the past. "We created opportunities throughout our fielding innings to defend that total, um, and get key wickets along the way, but we just weren't able to capitalize on that," she said. Dropped catches also haunted Australia, which shifted the momentum to India.
Healy admitted that the loss felt "a little bit un-Australian". "Ultimately, we just weren't sharp enough today, in all three facets, to give ourselves the opportunity to win that semi-final," she said. She added that the team had "let ourselves down a little bit".
Despite the disappointment, Healy expressed optimism about the future of the Australian team. "I'm looking forward to seeing what this team can do over this next cycle because it's really exciting," she said. She also acknowledged that it was an "amazing experience" to see India win and that it is "great for the global game". However, she couldn't bring herself to watch the final, where India defeated South Africa to lift the trophy.
Looking ahead, Healy stated that she will not be participating in the next ODI World Cup cycle. She believes that the team's approach to one-day cricket will likely shift, and she is excited about the opportunities that will arise for younger players. Healy said, "We'll learn from what we did wrong tonight. We'll grow, we'll get better".
