Australia captain opens up on emotional semifinal defeat and missed opportunities against India.
Sydney
Australia captain Alyssa Healy admitted that her team’s semi-final defeat to India in the ICC Women’s World Cup still haunts her, calling it a loss that “will hurt for a little while.” Healy reflected on India’s historic chase of 339 runs, the highest-ever in World Cup knockout history, which denied Australia a shot at the title.
Healy said she hasn’t watched the final, where India defeated South Africa to lift the trophy. “We played some incredible cricket but didn’t get over a certain Indian hurdle,” she said. “We’re playing great cricket, but that loss will stay with me for a bit.”
Australia had posted 338, with Phoebe Litchfield’s maiden World Cup century and Ash Gardner’s late fireworks, but Healy felt they left runs out there. “I actually thought it was under-par. We were looking at 350-plus when Pez and Phoebe were in,” she said.
Reflecting on the chase, Healy highlighted how conditions under lights at DY Patil Stadium shifted. “The red soil played slower early but slid on later. We didn’t adapt quickly enough,” she admitted. Missed chances also proved costly — Jemimah Rodrigues, who remained unbeaten on 127, was dropped twice at crucial moments.
Adding to the chaos, Healy described lighting issues that disrupted her own innings. “The lights came on mid-over, people were walking in front of the sightscreen — it was chaotic,” she said.
Despite the heartbreak, Healy praised her team’s consistency through the tournament. “We played out of our skins. One off night in a knockout — that’s all it takes,” she concluded.
