Dejected Aussies look ahead after semi-final defeat to India

Saturday, 1 November 2025 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Australian Captain Alyssa Healy was putting on a brave face and trying to remain positive after her side was knocked out of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup by India in a thrilling semi-final on Thursday.

The seven-time World Cup champions looked to be in the box seat when they posted a big total of 338, but India got valuable contributions from key batter Jemimah Rodrigues (127*) and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (89) as they chased down the victory target with nine deliveries remaining in Navi Mumbai.

It was a bitter pill for Healy to swallow, after the Australian skipper only returned from injury for the semi-final after battling a calf issue in the lead-up to the knockout contest.

The Australian veteran took plenty of positives from the efforts of her side across the tournament and believes the future is bright for the Aussies despite the fact they don’t have an ICC trophy within their grasp.

“I think we’re playing some unbelievable cricket and that’s why it doesn’t quite feel right sitting here at the losing end, not sort of getting to Sunday’s fixture,” Healy said after the match.

“I thought we played really well right throughout this World Cup, and I simply say that because of the different contributions that we had right throughout.

“It wasn’t just one person making all the runs or taking all the wickets. I think the team contributed equally right throughout, which I think put us in a really nice place heading into this final series.

“So, I think there’s some huge positives out of it.

“I think this next four-year cycle leading into the next World Cup is going to be really exciting for our group and potentially see some really cool opportunities for some of the younger players to get greater opportunities in this side, which I think is going to improve the Australian team, which I think is really cool.

“We just weren’t able to get the job done tonight, which is disappointing.”

Healy confirmed she won’t be a part of Australia’s squad at the next edition of the Women’s Cricket World Cup, while she remains tight-lipped on whether she would continue on and play a part in the Aussies quest to win back the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup trophy in England and Wales next year.

The Australian Captain, instead, looked at the opportunity to reflect on what went wrong for her side during the tournament, and what can be done better in the lead-up to the next ICC event.