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Smriti Mandhana was still processing Sunday night’s four-run defeat to England when she faced the media in Indore. India needed 57 from 57 balls with seven wickets standing, yet stumbled to 284 for 9 in pursuit of 289 at the Women’s ODI World Cup. The vice-captain did not hide.
“We could have done better with our shot selection,” she admitted. “It started from me, so I will take it on myself that the shot selection should have been better. We just needed six runs per over. Maybe we should have taken the game deeper. I’ll take it [upon] myself because the collapse started from me.”
Key moments
Mandhana’s 88 from 94 balls underpinned the chase until the 42nd over. Left-arm spinner Linsey Smith came round the wicket with four boundary riders on the leg side. Mandhana went inside-out and miscued to long-off.
“I thought I could take her on, I was trying to aim more over covers,” she explained. “I mistimed that shot. Maybe the shot wasn’t needed at that time. I just needed to be more patient because throughout the innings I was trying to tell myself to be patient and not to play aerial shots.
“The emotions took over for that one, which never helps in cricket,” she added. “But walking back, I was pretty confident that we’ll be able to get the win. But it’s cricket, you can’t ever think too far ahead. If you lose, I don’t think [a good innings] means anything.”
England sensed opportunity. Nat Sciver-Brunt removed Richa Ghosh, then Sophie Ecclestone dismissed Deepti Sharma. India slipped from 232 for 3 to 262 for 6, and the required rate nudged past seven—a modest ask on paper, yet suddenly a stretch.
Renuka for Jemimah
Pre-match, India had opted for a sixth bowler, bringing Renuka Singh in and leaving out Jemimah Rodrigues. Some questioned whether the extra seamer cost batting depth, yet Mandhana stood by the call.
“Sometimes you need to do those sorts of things to get the balance right,” she said. “We felt an additional bowler could help, especially after defending totals twice without success. It just so happened we were asked to chase.”
Rodrigues had played every earlier match, but India’s think-tank preferred seam in daytime conditions. Renuka’s figures—8-0-46-1—were tidy without being decisive. With the bat, the lower middle order could not finish, yet Mandhana resisted pinning it on selection.
“Richa has been good for us, but I wouldn’t say that it’s only dependent on her,” she noted. “We just needed 6.5 runs per over; it’s not like we needed nine per over that the finishing part was a lot to ask. We have seen Aman do that in WPL and Sneh has been brilliant in the last four-five overs with the bat for us in the first three-four matches. So, I wouldn’t say that, especially this one, that it was only dependent on one player. We’ll take it upon ourselves that we could have actually done better in the last six-odd overs.”
What the numbers say
India scored at 5.36 per over until the 40th, then only 4.20 thereafter. England’s left-arm spin accounted for 4 for 62 from 19 overs, using angles to cramp India’s stroke-makers. Ecclestone bowled three of the last five overs; her control denied boundaries and forced risks.
Former India batter Anju Jain felt the plan was sound but execution frayed. “They had wickets in hand and one set batter,” she told the host broadcaster. “At that stage you back yourself to finish. It’s an experience lesson more than a tactical blunder.”
Looking ahead
The defeat leaves India needing victories in their final two group fixtures to reach the semi-finals without relying on net run-rate. Mandhana remains upbeat yet realistic.
“We’ve played good cricket in patches,” she said. “This loss hurts, but the tournament doesn’t stop. We’ll talk honestly about what went wrong and move on.”
England, meanwhile, remain unbeaten. Captain Heather Knight praised her bowlers’ calm. “We just kept saying one wicket brings two,” she remarked pitch-side. “Sophie and Linsey were outstanding under pressure.”
Takeaways
• Mandhana owns the decisive mis-hit yet scores 88, her first fifty of the competition.
• Extra seamer Renuka preferred to Jemimah, a decision Mandhana defends.
• England’s slow left-arm pair close out six of the last nine overs, conceding only 30 runs.
• India still control their semi-final fate but can ill-afford another slip.
For all the frustration, Mandhana’s measured words suggested a team intent on learning quickly rather than dwelling. The margin was four runs; the lessons could be larger.
