6 months ago
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India vice-captain Smriti Mandhana connected Thursday (October 23, 2025) described qualifying for the Women's World Cup semifinals arsenic "a large relief," arsenic the squad bounced backmost from 3 successive defeats aft starting the tourney arsenic 1 of the favourites.
India became the past squad to suffice for the semifinals, joining Australia, South Africa and England, pursuing a 53-run triumph implicit New Zealand via the DLS method successful a rain-affected crippled here.
"For sure, it's a large alleviation successful presumption of qualifying. The past 3 games were truly tough. We thought we played immoderate bully cricket but conscionable couldn't win, truthful this is truly relieving," Mandhana said astatine the post-match presentation.
The stylish left-handed batter smashed 109, her 5th period of the calendar year, portion opening spouse Pratika Rawal notched her maiden World Cup hundred, scoring 122.
The duo shared a grounds 212-run concern for the archetypal wicket, starring India to 340/3 successful 49 overs, their highest full successful the Women's World Cup, surpassing the 330 they made against Australia successful Visakhapatnam earlier successful the tournament.
The people was revised to 325 successful 44 overs aft different rainfall delay, and the 2000 variation champions managed 271/8.
Mandhana, adjudged subordinate of the match, said Pratika deserved the grant arsenic overmuch arsenic she did. "Pratika deserved this arsenic overmuch arsenic I do."
On batting with Pratika and wherefore it works truthful well, she said, "We've been asked this question for the past 8 months, and I don't deliberation either of america tin reply it perfectly.
"But we're akin radical — we some conscionable privation to bash the occupation for the team. We don't speech a batch successful the middle.
"She's a bully anchor and truly allows maine to play my earthy game. When she gets going, I tin spot successful with the anchor role. That truly works for us. We recognize that erstwhile 1 idiosyncratic is going, the different tin conscionable absorption connected rotating the strike."
India had deed a roadblock aft wins implicit Sri Lanka and Pakistan, losing to South Africa, Australia, and past England.
"I backmost myself to play a longer innings erstwhile I get to 20. In World Cups, you person to permission a batch of things behind. If you are successful form, you request to support going and not complicate things — that's what I kept telling myself. I'm feeling good, and that's what matters." Overcoming the anxious moments pursuing 3 defeats was not easy, said skipper Harmanpreet Kaur.
"Credit goes to the full squad for the mode we fought today. We knew however important this crippled was, the full squad was charged up, and I americium blessed with however we played today. Credit goes to Smriti and Pratika for the mode they took responsibility. We got a precise bully start," Harmanpreet said.
On the unit of playing a location World Cup, she said, "Whenever you are playing astatine home, everyone expects a batch from you. As a team, we sermon that this is our location and the assemblage is ever cheering for us. This is simply a infinitesimal to bask alternatively than conscionable putting unit connected ourselves."
Frustrating tourney for New Zealand
Having endured 3 losses from six games, White Ferns skipper Sophie Devine termed it a frustrating tournament.
"We are incredibly disappointed and gutted, not conscionable for ourselves but for our friends and family. Frustrating tourney -- would person loved much opportunities to play and with the bat. Credit to them. Target was conscionable excessively large for us," said Devine.
