Alyssa Healy didn’t bother hiding the frustration. Minutes after India reeled in Australia’s 338 to claim a place in Sunday’s World Cup final, the captain shook her head and said, “We did that to ourselves a little bit.”
India’s successful chase in Navi Mumbai – the highest in women’s one-day history – owed plenty to Jemimah Rodrigues’ unbeaten 127, yet Healy felt her side had left at least 20 runs out there and then spurned the chances that came. “I mean, good contest in the end,” she noted, “but we probably didn’t finish off with the bat, didn’t bowl that great and dropped all our chances in the field.”
Australia were 220 for 2 in the 34th over, cruising towards 350, when a mini-collapse saw seven wickets fall for 118. Phoebe Litchfield’s 119 kept the total respectable but, as Healy pointed out, “we created enough [chances]. We created pressure… we just weren’t able to capitalise.”
Three dropped catches proved decisive, two of them reprieves for Rodrigues. Healy’s own shelled chance at cover hurt most. “I’m at fault for that as well, and I think that’s something that Australia really prides themselves on,” she admitted. “We kind of let ourselves down in that regard today.”
The defeat revived memories of last year’s T20 World Cup semi-final against South Africa. “It felt a little bit similar… going out playing, you know, not the way that we wanted to play,” Healy said, promising sharp lessons before the next ODI cycle.
On balance, the skipper still believes the campaign showed more good than bad. “I think we’ve played some unbelievable cricket,” she argued. “The semi-finals is a knockout game – if you don’t quite turn up on that evening, anyone’s going to get you… That’s probably why it stings a little bit more.”
A bright spot was the emergence of 22-year-old Litchfield. “When you’ve seen players my age walk away from the game, it’s kind of a weird experience to stand there and watch the next generation go about it,” Healy smiled. “I thought Phoebe was sensational today… It’s been fun to watch her unfold.”
Ashleigh Gardner’s lower-order hitting also earned praise. “The other change in batting, I think, is around that No.6, No.7 position. I think Ash Gardner has completely owned that role this World Cup.”
Healy, 35, stopped short of confirming her long-term future but conceded this tournament marked the end of one phase of her ODI career. Coaching staff expect several senior players to reassess their schedules before the next global event in 2029.
For now, though, the inquest centres on a night when Australia fell just short with bat, ball and hands. The margin will haunt them, yet the core remains strong, and the lessons are obvious. As Healy put it, “We’ll learn from that. We’ll grow.”
