Wed Oct 22 14:30:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a news article summarizing the events in Indore:

Mandhana Accepts Blame as India Suffer Heartbreaking Loss to England

Indore, India – India’s Women’s Cricket team suffered a narrow four-run defeat to England in a crucial match in Indore, leaving semi-final hopes hanging in the balance. The loss was particularly stinging for Smriti Mandhana, whose brilliant 88 anchored the chase until a costly misjudgment in the 42nd over swung the momentum.

“I was trying to aim more over covers,” Mandhana lamented after the match. “I mistimed that shot.” She took full responsibility for the subsequent collapse, admitting that emotions got the better of her at a critical juncture. “Especially it [the collapse] started from me so I will take it on me that the shot selection should have been better. We just needed six per over. Maybe we should have taken the game deeper.”

At the time of her dismissal, India needed only 55 runs from 52 balls with six wickets remaining. Despite her confidence in the remaining batters, a series of poor shot selections led to a dramatic fall of wickets.

While Mandhana acknowledged the need for improvement across the board, she emphasized that the pressure to finish games shouldn’t solely fall on Richa Ghosh. She highlighted the contributions of other players like Amanjot Kaur and Sneh Rana in previous matches, suggesting a collective responsibility for closing out games.

The team’s decision to drop Jemimah Rodrigues in favor of Renuka Singh Thakur was explained as a strategic move to bolster bowling options after concerns arose in previous matches. Mandhana clarified this wasn’t a permanent lineup change.

Looking ahead, India faces a must-win match against New Zealand in Navi Mumbai on Thursday, with the victor securing the final semi-final spot. Mandhana urged the team to learn from their mistakes and bring their best performance against the Kiwis. “In cricket, nothing comes easy,” she said. “We’ll all take this in our strides… We all know where we could have gotten done better, where we went wrong… It’s about how you take those bad days and move on.”

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