A little bit un-Australian”: Healy reflects on semifinal sting

“Un-Australian.” That’s how Alyssa Healy summed up Australia’s shocking World Cup semi-final defeat to India — a single word that captured the disbelief of a cricketing nation. For a team that has long defined excellence, this collapse was both rare and revealing.

Australia had posted a formidable 338, powered by Phoebe Litchfield’s magnificent century, yet somehow left runs unscored — an oddity for a side renowned for its ruthless precision. With the ball, discipline deserted them. Wayward deliveries, including the leg-side ball that ironically dismissed Smriti Mandhana, betrayed their usually meticulous standards. But the most glaring lapse came in the field. Healy and Tahlia McGrath shelled straightforward chances, granting lifelines to Jemimah Rodrigues, whose unbeaten 127 would etch itself among the great World Cup innings by an Indian batter.

The result: a historic run chase, the crowning of a new champion, and Australia’s second semi-final exit in less than a year. For the first time since the T20 World Cup began in 2009, the giants had failed to reach back-to-back ICC finals — a statistic almost unthinkable for the seven-time world champions.

Despite entering the tournament on a 16-match unbeaten streak, Australia stumbled at the wrong moment. Facing the media after the loss, Healy could only try to make sense of the inexplicable.


“We just weren’t sharp enough — in any of the three departments,” she admitted. “We hung in there and created plenty of chances but failed to capitalise. It’s disappointing because we did that to ourselves. India played brilliantly, but we weren’t our usual selves. We could’ve scored more after winning the toss, bowled tighter, fielded cleaner — it just felt... un-Australian.”

Her words echoed the frustration of a side unaccustomed to such lapses. The dropped catches loomed large — mistakes that shifted the course of the game.


“Was it pressure? Concentration? I don’t know,” Healy pondered. “But those missed chances changed everything. On a wicket that kept getting better for batting, you can’t afford to waste opportunities.”

Even so, she noted that the team still believed late in the chase.


“We were in it with five overs to go,” she reflected. “If we’d squeezed tighter, anything could’ve happened. Jemimah’s resilience was outstanding — she held her nerve and got her team home. Full credit to her.”

The parallels with Derby 2017 were impossible to ignore — another semi-final defeat to India, another defining innings that forced Australia to reflect and rebuild. Back then, the loss sparked a white-ball revolution, leading to years of dominance. Whether this latest setback triggers a similar resurgence remains to be seen.


“These moments test you,” Healy said. “In 2017 we learnt where we could improve under pressure, and it transformed us. This will do the same. For younger players like Phoebe, it’s invaluable experience — painful now, but essential for what comes next.”

Still, even amid disappointment, Healy’s tone turned generous — acknowledging the significance of India or South Africa claiming their first-ever World Cup title.


“It’s brilliant for the women’s game,” she smiled. “This has been one of the most competitive tournaments ever — any of eight teams could’ve made the finals. To see a new winner, in front of passionate home fans here in India, is huge. It’s going to sting for us, but it’s wonderful for global cricket. Hopefully, it brings more investment, more belief, and more little girls dreaming of lifting that trophy someday.”

In defeat, Australia’s captain found perspective — a reminder that even giants must stumble sometimes to grow stronger. For Healy and her team, this loss may yet be the beginning of their next great chapter.