Tears in dugout: Smriti Mandhana breaks down as India stare at World Cup exit

NEW DELHI: Four-time champions England booked their spot in the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup after a nail-biting four-run win over hosts India in Indore on Sunday. England posted a competitive 288/8, anchored by Heather Knight’s classy century, and held their nerve in the field to defend it, despite their bowling, usually their strength, being slightly off-colour.

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India looked on course for victory, needing just 62 runs from the last 10 overs with seven wickets in hand. But the dismissal of Smriti Mandhana shifted the momentum. The elegant left-hander, who had been anchoring the chase, danced down the track to left-arm spinner Linsey Smith but failed to clear long-off. Soon after, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma fell in quick succession, leaving the tail exposed. As the match slipped away, Mandhana struggled to control her tears, a poignant reminder of how close India had come.Deepti Sharma, after reaching her half-century, attempted a risky slog sweep against Sophie Ecclestone and was caught at deep mid-wicket, sealing England’s victory.

"We probably needed 300, but we did well to pull things back and I'm very happy. Didn't contribute much in the last couple of games, so it felt good to come up with a match-winning hundred," said Knight, whose 109 off 91 balls, laced with 15 fours and a six, powered England’s innings.

England’s openers gave them a brisk start with 73 runs for the first wicket before Knight and captain Nat Sciver-Brunt stitched a 113-run stand to keep the scoreboard ticking.

At one point, England seemed set to breach 300, but Knight’s run out during a second run triggered a slowdown. Deepti Sharma finished with four wickets, keeping India in the hunt.The defeat marked India’s third consecutive loss, leaving their next clash against New Zealand a virtual knockout.

Both teams are on four points, and only a win in both remaining games, along with favourable results elsewhere, will keep India’s semi-final hopes alive."Not sure how we lost this game. We had it in the bag. We've worked so hard and when the last five overs slip away from you, it's heartbreaking. This is the third straight game we've lost after coming so close," lamented India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, reflecting the anguish felt by the team and particularly by Mandhana, whose heartbreak underlined how agonisingly close India came to victory.