The women’s team just took their first loss of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025, and now things are about to get infinitely harder. South Africa did something special and handed the host country their first loss of the tournament. But there isn’t much time to sulk over the match.
What just happened
Richa Ghosh put on a show with the bat, scoring 94 runs off just 77 balls to help set up a total of 252 for South Africa to chase. The keeper-batter came out earlier than she wanted to and made sure the total looked good enough after a little early trouble at the top. South Africa chased it down with seven balls to spare, and that’s the story.
The team doesn’t want to use excuses or blame. Ghosh indicated to reporters post-match that everyone gave it their go. She said both teams played well, and that South Africa should be credited for the way they executed the chase.
The review process begins now
The squad knows they need to sit down fast and figure out what worked and what didn’t. There’s going to be a proper meeting where they look at every part of the match. The focus will be on:
- Finding areas where things can get better
- Looking at what actually worked during the match
- Building plans for the practice sessions coming up
- Keeping everyone in a good headspace moving forward
Ghosh made it clear that one bad result won’t mess with how they think or approach things. The team wants to take it step by step and learn something new each day.
What makes the next phase brutal
Here is where it becomes very difficult. The schedule looks like someone has lined up all the hardest fixtures one after another. We first play the World Cup holders, Australia, on Sunday, with Australia still not having lost a game so far in this tournament. Then we face England, and finally New Zealand.
These are not easy matches, these are all teams that are serious contenders that are also skilled in pressure situations. Each match is critical in terms of which of these teams progresses to the next round, and which teams go home.
If this is what Cricmatch official was thinking about these fixtures, they would tell you this is one of these stretches where everything has to work out at the right time. The margin for error has gotten even smaller since the South Africa result.
Why Ghosh needs to keep firing
The team will need Ghosh to keep playing those hard-hitting knocks. Her approach during the South Africa match showed exactly what she brings to the table. She explained how she picked her moments – going after anything in her hitting zone and rotating the strike when needed.
The partnership was the most important thing on her mind throughout the innings. That thinking paid off as she nearly got to a hundred and pushed the total to something defendable. The fact that her teammates trust her gave her the confidence to play those shots.
The mindset stays strong
Nobody in the camp is panicking. The mood is calm and everyone’s keeping their heads up. One match doesn’t tell you everything about how good the top order is. Cricket works that way – sometimes things don’t go your way even when you do most things right.
The bowlers stuck to their plans and tried to execute everything they worked on in practice. South Africa just batted better on the day and those are the breaks. The shots they played were top class and deserve respect.
What comes next
Preparation for Australia will begin immediately. The team will be aware that they will have to tally their effort with that of the defending champions. Whatever lesson comes out of the South Africa match will carry forward into the next matches.
The squad list for the tournament includes, of course, the captain Harmanpreet Kaur, the vice-captain Smriti Mandhana, and players such as Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rodrigues, and several others who can achieve results. With two experienced essays in Ghosh and Yastika Bhatia, coupled with solid all-round options, there’s the quality to turn things around.
Anyone following cricket knows this is where tournaments get decided. The easy matches are done and now we will face the teams that matter, the hosts will have to act smartly because many roadblocks in front do not leave you with a second chance.
For fans checking updates on Cricmatch official or anywhere else, the next few days will tell what type of team this is. There’s a review meeting, practice sessions may be more structured, and then we are straight into the fire against Australia. Not a second wasted, no doubt.
