What a difference a night makes? The Australian women’s cricket team, undefeated at the tournament and hot favourites to again lift the Women’s Cricket World Cup, fumbled the semi-final in Navi Mumbai and coughed up the chance to defend their title.
Known as the mentality monsters for their unmatched ability to fight back from the most dire of situations, Australia failed to defend their total of 338. In a contrasting display, their opponents – co-hosts India – shed their own tendency to buckle under pressure in knockout games and held their nerve to overhaul the record for the highest successful run chase in women’s ODIs.
While it was a history-shaping moment for India, Australia ended their night without the opportunity to add another trophy to their cabinet. The defending champions have now let slip both of their World Cup crowns – T20 and ODI – within 12 months.
Australia were on top at the end of India’s powerplay after dismissing both openers, the dangerous Shafali Verma and run-machine Smriti Mandhana, especially given the India middle-order’s sketchy record. But what followed was a performance that captain Alyssa Healy would later describe as “un-Australian”.
Catches were dropped, the fielding blew hot and cold with some high-quality saves interspersed by slip-ups and wide throws, and there were too many loose deliveries. Healy dug deep into her wealth of bowling resources. But for what felt like an eternity, none found an answer to break the partnership between Jemimah Rodrigues and India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, which would ultimately add 167 runs and become the backbone of the successful chase.
When the chances were created, they were not accepted in the field. Rodrigues was dropped three times on her way to a match-winning century – including by Healy and her deputy, Tahlia McGrath. What brought about the uncharacteristic display in the high-stakes match? Healy couldn’t put a finger on a cause in the post-match press conference.
To point to a moment in the second innings as the one where the balance shifted away from Australia will potentially be a meritless task. Despite the early wickets, Rodrigues and Harman kept the rate under check, finding a boundary almost every over. And as the night progressed, scoring only became easier, with the bowlers struggling to grip the ball that was being easily driven to the wet outfield by the set batters.
Australia had set themselves a strenuous test by choosing to bat at the toss. The three completed ODIs at the DY Patil Stadium – all played during this tournament – had been won by the side batting first. But they were different teams, and it’s a small sample size compared to eight T20Is at the venue, six of which went the chasing side’s way.
Faced with dew, passing drizzle and a strong opposition with vocal home support as they fought to keep their title-defence hopes alive, the Australians had one major flaw augmented by the conditions. The side has been guilty of leaking extras over this World Cup cycle. The wet ball only made it more difficult for the bowlers to maintain their lines and lengths, as they gave away 26 extras.
But it will be unfair to pin the blame on the bowlers alone. As Healy acknowledged after the game, the batting unit had fallen short of maximising their output despite setting a record run chase in front of India. Once Phoebe Litchfield’s enthralling knock came to an end on 119, the scoring slowed down, forcing a chaotic back-end laced with run-outs and successive wickets.
Despite the quest for back-to-back World Cup titles coming to an end a step short of the final, not many will argue that Australia were not the most well-rounded and consistent unit in the tournament.
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The month in the subcontinent has been a showcase of the fearsome batting depth they have developed. Performances came from across the board with four centurians – Healy and Ash Gardner getting two each – and Annabel Sutherland recording an unbeaten 98 of the highest quality.
Sutherland was even more impressive with the ball. The young all-rounder unleashed the variations she had been working on to great effect and stayed in the race to finish as the leading wicket-taker. Leg-spinner Alana King was equally dominant, her miserly spells ultimately building up to a destructive 7-18 against eventual finalists South Africa.
Coach Shelly Nietschke’s side will know, as will the world, that the empty spots in the trophy cabinet are not a reflection of Australia’s stature in women’s cricket. Any major overhauls to their playing philosophy are unlikely to unfold, and the panic button won’t be hit as the team prepares for a future without some of its long-serving members, including Healy and leading quick Megan Schutt.
Australia won’t play another international fixture until mid-February, leaving them with an unusual gap in the middle of the home summer to reset and turn their focus to the next cycle and the opportunity to win back their T20 world title in July.
The outcome of this World Cup is just that for the Australian team – a gloomy little period in the middle of summer. It is by no means an endless winter.
