The hype surrounding the Women’s T20 World Cup was inevitable. India entered the tournament riding on the momentum of their historic first ICC title, having won the ODI World Cup last year. That win in the 50-over format was widely seen as a turning point for women’s cricket in the country, raising hopes that the team could build on their success and establish a period of sustained dominance. The result was that when the Women’s T20 World Cup started, all eyes were on India.

India started their campaign with two emphatic wins over Netherlands and Pakistan. However, everyone knew that those matches didn’t really test him. Both these matches were like a honeymoon phase for the Indian team.

But when was India brought back to reality South Africa gave them a crushing defeat by six wickets. The mistakes that India did not have to suffer against against Pakistan and Netherlands came back to haunt them against the Proteas.

It felt as if South Africa showed a mirror to Harmanpreet Kaur’s team, while Laura Wolvaardt’s team exposed its shortcomings and showed others the blueprint to defeat India. It seems that India have mastered the ODI format but they are still unable to find the right formula for success in T20.

India lost a good start

India were guilty of failing to get off to good starts during their South Africa tour, a problem that resurfaced repeatedly which led to them squandering a 3–0 lead and eventually suffering a 4–1 defeat. In the World Cup match against the Proteas, India again got off to a great start, scoring 59 runs in the first six overs, although they lost both openers Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana early.

However, with eight wickets remaining, India were expected to reach the 180-run mark, especially with a strong middle order and power-hitters like Richa Ghosh in prime form. Instead, they could only score 99 runs in the last 14 overs.

Most of the batsmen reached double figures and looked set to make meaningful contributions, but none could convert their starts into big innings. Richa provided the finishing kick against Pakistan and Netherlands, but failed to replicate that impact against stronger bowling attacks.

India still have two matches left, and will need their middle order to build on the platform set by the top order if they are to recover.

Spinners can’t save you every time

India’s spinners have been in excellent form throughout the tournament. Deepti Sharma conceded 16 runs in the final over of South Africa’s chase, but such occasional setbacks are part of the game and do not detract from their overall impact.

Sri Charani has emerged as the leading wicket-taker With 10 wickets at an exceptional average of 6.40, and her remarkable consistency, she could soon move up the ICC T20I rankings, and potentially overtake Lynsey Smith.

However, India’s pace attack has struggled to make a meaningful impact. The seamers have lacked both consistency and penetration with the ball since the South Africa tour.

Arundhati Reddy has given 50 runs at an economy rate of 10 without taking any wicket, while Kranti Goud did not get any wicket against Pakistan and Netherlands. Nandani Sharma showed early promise against the Dutch but faltered against South Africa.

With limited contributions from the fast bowling unit, India will need a lot of support from their pace attack to maintain balance when the spinners come under pressure.

catches win the match

India’s fielding has been a major concern in the World Cup and has played a key role in their struggles so far. On Sunday, Radha Yadav dropped Marizanne Kapp twice, and Kapp made India pay a heavy price. As one of India’s most reliable fielders, Radha is usually expected to set the standard, but she faltered at a crucial moment when India needed her most.

Against Pakistan, Richa Ghosh and Arundhati Reddy also dropped one catch each, giving Muniba Ali several lives. However, Muniba, unlike a player of Kapp’s calibre, failed to fully capitalize on those opportunities. Kapp, on the other hand, is a powerful batsman who has once again troubled India when given the opportunity.

Against top teams, dropped catches are often decisive, and they leave little room for recovery. After the match, Harmanpreet Kaur admitted that missed chances proved costly for India. Veteran commentator Harsha Bhogle also said that India’s fielding has been below standard throughout. If such lapses continue against strong teams like Australia, the consequences could be much more serious.

Time is running out for India

Even before the tournament began, Group A was widely seen as a virtual tri-series between India, Australia and South Africa. Bangladesh, Pakistan and Netherlands are also part of the group, but given their experience and firepower, it would be truly extraordinary for the lower-ranked teams to consistently challenge the top three. Australia has already defeated both India and South Africa, so are in a strong position to seal a place in the semi-finals.

As a result, India and South Africa are effectively competing for the remaining qualification spot unless Bangladesh performs exceptionally well in their final two matches. After South Africa’s win over India, the match between India and Australia at Lord’s on June 28 has become even more important.

If India wins, it will put itself in a strong position to advance, provided South Africa does not overtake them in terms of net run rate. However, a defeat would leave India with a strong chance of elimination. Beyond the results, what India needs most is to address the shortcomings exposed against South Africa.

If India can strengthen their fundamentals and avoid collapsing under pressure, they are capable of not only reaching the semi-finals but also winning the World Cup at Lord’s next month, a view already talked about by Shreyanka Patil, who was sad to miss out on the competition.

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