India lost to Australia by three wickets in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
Skipper Alyssa Healy smashed 142 to lead Australia to a record
chase of 331. Vice-captain Smriti Mandhana became the first player in women’s ODIs to score 1,000 runs in a calendar year as India set a formidable total of 330 after Australia chose to bowl.
India Vs Australia: Women’s World Cup 2025 – Highlights
Chasing the highest target ever in women’s ODI history, Healy set the pace with her sixth career hundred and first as captain, reaching the mark in just 84 balls. It was also her first ODI century since 2022.
Her outstanding innings concluded at 142 off 107 balls when Sneh Rana made a stunning one-handed catch at backward point, giving India hope at 276/5.
However, experienced all-rounder Ellyse Perry, who had retired hurt earlier, returned to guide Australia home with an unbeaten 47. Australia completed the chase in 49 overs, with one over to spare.
Earlier, India collapsed from 294/4 to 330 all out, losing their last six wickets for just 36 runs in seven overs. Annabel Sutherland excelled with 5/40 in 9.5 overs, claiming her maiden five-wicket haul, while Sophie Molineux provided good support with 3/75 as India were bowled out in 48.5 overs.
With the win, Australia climbed to the top of the points table, as India remained in third.
ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 Points Table
| Position | Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | No Result | Points | Net Run-Rate (NRR) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Australia | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | +1.353 |
| 2 | England | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | +1.864 |
| 3 | India | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | +0.677 |
| 4 | South Africa | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -0.888 |
| 5 | New Zealand | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -0.245 |
| 6 | Bangladesh | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -0.357 |
| 7 | Sri Lanka | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | -1.515 |
| 8 | Pakistan | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.887 |
After four matches in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, Australia leads the table with 7 points, followed by England with 6. India is currently in third place with 4 points and a healthy net run rate of +0.677, keeping them in strong contention for a semifinal spot.
South Africa is close behind with 4 points as well, but their negative NRR of -0.888 gives India the edge.
New Zealand and Bangladesh each have 2 points, while Sri Lanka and Pakistan have yet to win a game.
How Can India Qualify For Semis?
For India to qualify for the semifinals, they must win their remaining group-stage matches (against England, New Zealand and Bangladesh) and hope that South Africa and New Zealand lose at least one of their upcoming games.
India Results & Fixtures
| Opponent | Description | Date | Result/Fixtures |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | 1st Match | 30 Sep | Won by 59 runs (DLS Method) |
| Pakistan | 6th Match | 05 Oct | Won by 88 runs |
| South Africa | 10th Match | 09 Oct | Lost by 3 wickets |
| Australia | 13th Match | 12 Oct | Lost by 3 wickets |
| England | 20th Match | 19 Oct | Yet to be played |
| New Zealand | 24th Match | 23 Oct | Yet to be played |
| Bangladesh | 28th Match | 26 Oct | Yet to be played |
Maintaining a strong net run rate will also be crucial if teams end up with the same points.
India are not entirely out of the tournament, but the game against New Zealand is shaping up to be a potential quarter-final.
(With inputs from Agencies)
