India, Oct. 13 -- For the second consecutive match, India failed to defend competitive totals in the ongoing Women's World Cup 2025 at home. After losing to South Africa with seven balls to spare in Visakhapatnam, the defending champions suffered another heartbreak at the same venue, as Australia chased down a record 331 with an over to spare. While the back-to-back losses didn't affect India's points-table standing, semifinal hopes are now beginning to fade.

India kicked off their campaign with a modest 59-run win in a rain-marred clash against Sri Lanka in Guwahati, before crushing Pakistan by 88 runs in Colombo. Despite these victories, flaws in India's batting surfaced in the next two games against stronger opponents, allowing South ...