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India Women's defeat vs SA-W was the timely wake-up call ahead of Australia challenge

Soumyajit Dutta

Harmanpreet Kaur [Source: @gottish_bhai/X.com]Harmanpreet Kaur [Source: @gottish_bhai/X.com]

The India Women vs South Africa Women clash on October 9 will be the one that will go down in the golden pages of women's cricket, for a woman named Nadine de Klerk. The rampage, the control, and the grit were everything that South African women could ask for to trouble an in-control Women in Blue.

More than it being the first loss for India Women in the Women's World Cup 2025, it is a wake-up call for Harmanpreet Kaur & Co. ahead of the Australia clash on October 12. While the team rues the missed opportunities despite Richa Ghosh's blitz, it's actually time for India Women to come out of the 'world-beater' smoke and see things clearly.

Luck or skill? Clearing the smoke out of India Women's wins

While India Women are one of the hosts of the tournament besides Sri Lanka, they are certainly not the favourites to win the tournament. The 'Big Sisters', Australia and England, are cruising above to put India back into their place. 

It sounds harsh for sure, but India's record against Australia and England Women has been sub-par.  India's recent gameplay with the bat is also not something that they can be proud of. The top order has been in ruins for India after their three encounters, and it has been, what can be called, sheer luck or a faulty performance from the opponent that steered India's success.

Against Sri Lanka, Smriti Mandhana failed, Pratika Rawal was just at par, Harmanpreet Kaur disappointed, and Jemimah Rodrigues' duck was a heartbreak. Against Pakistan Women, though there were notable contributions, they were not enough. The spark is missing. The top-order charisma is still lacking, which might cost India their semi-final spot after the Australia and England clashes.

Threats loom large for Harmanpreet & Co.

If India fails to capitalize on a moderate-to-high-scoring Vishakhapatnam pitch, it might be the end of hopes for Indian fans to live their dream of lifting the maiden Women's World Cup Trophy. The 7-time World Cup winners, Australia, will be leaving no margin for error while fending off their Indian counterparts.

Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, and Ashleigh Gardner are some of the biggest threats that India needs to tackle if they want success. Mooney is in red-hot form after her ton against Pakistan Women, and Ashleigh too smashed a ton against NZ-W in their campaign opener. Tackling these troubles and a consistent firing from the top-order is the only thing that might prevent the hosts from getting eaten up by Healy & Co.

Moreover, against South Africa Women, India's top order and fragile middle order were exposed as bowlers also failed to keep a tight grip during the high-intensity chase. Australia Women pack a punch with all of their guns lined up to fire unanimously. Does India have the power to fire back? Only their might after a reality check from SA-W would tell.