India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has called for an honest reassessment of the team’s approach against the world’s best sides after their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign came to an end with a six-wicket defeat to Australia at Lord’s on Sunday. India posted a competitive 170/4 after Harmanpreet led the way with a blistering 56 off 27 balls, while Smriti Mandhana (38), Shafali Verma (34) and Jemimah Rodrigues (34) all made useful contributions. However, Australia chased down the target with an over to spare, finishing on 17a2/4 thanks to Ellyse Perry’s 56 and an unbeaten 53 from Ashleigh Gardner.
Reflecting on the contest, Harmanpreet believed India had enough runs on the board but admitted the defending champions once again found a way to execute better in the crucial moments. “End of the day we got decent total on the board. In between when I was batting, I thought we were a little short but last couple of overs did the job. They were looking for the runs but couldn’t do so. It was a good game but unfortunately we didn’t get over the line.”
India recovered strongly after a steady start, with Harmanpreet’s aggressive innings lifting the scoring rate in the closing overs. The captain struck 6 fours and 3 sixes during her 27-ball knock, helping India add valuable late runs after Australia had kept things under control through the middle overs.
Despite the fighting total, Harmanpreet felt the bigger concern lay in India’s performances against the strongest opposition throughout the tournament. While India handled the lower-ranked teams comfortably, they once again fell short when it mattered most.
“If I have to think about the entire tournament, we didn’t do well against good teams. Against the best teams always your best comes. I think we need to rethink about that. They’re one of the best. I think they bowled according to their plans. We didn’t lose wickets, but at the same time we didn’t get what we were expecting.”
Australia’s chase was built around experience. Perry steadied the innings after early wickets before Gardner accelerated in the closing stages, with the pair ensuring Australia stayed ahead of the required rate despite India striking at regular intervals. Shree Charani was the pick of India’s bowlers with two wickets, but the six-time champions timed their chase to perfection.
Harmanpreet also reflected on India’s campaign as a whole, suggesting the issues extended beyond Sunday’s defeat. The captain pointed to recurring lapses with both bat and ball, particularly during the closing overs of matches against top opposition.
“As a group we really need to rethink a lot of things, how we have to go against good teams, especially because sometimes, you know, we are in the game, but last few overs we’ve been giving heavy runs. And if we have to, you know, if we’re chasing, then we are not able to get those runs while batting. So I think it’s been happening for quite a long time.”
While fielding was sharper against Australia than in previous matches, Harmanpreet admitted missed opportunities earlier in the tournament had also played their part in India’s early exit, “Those catches cost us in earlier games but today I think we were in the game. We didn’t play to our standards.” she said.
India’s elimination once again raises questions about their ability to consistently challenge the world’s top sides in ICC events. While individual performances provided positives throughout the tournament, the captain’s reflections made it clear that India will use this campaign as a learning experience. The challenge now is to translate those lessons into results when they next face the top-ranked sides on the biggest stage.
Loves all things female cricket