'Un-Australian' night ends ODI World Cup defence

Alyssa Healy has labelled her side's ODI World Cup semi-final performance "un-Australian", after a scrappy loss to India left one of cricket's greatest teams without a major global trophy in their cabinet.

Set 339 to win in Mumbai on Thursday night, India pulled off the largest chase in a women's ODI to haul in Australia's total with five wickets and nine balls to spare.

The result means Australia will not hold either the ODI or T20 World Cup trophies after this weekend, despite being the clear No.1 side in the world in both formats.

It also means the nation's golden era, including the likes of Healy, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt after Meg Lanning's 2023 retirement, will not be the first team in 40 years to win back-to-back ODI World Cups.

Thursday night arguably marked the finest hour for India's women, sinking the defending world champions in front of an estimated 25,000 fans at DY Patil Stadium .

A bigger moment could await at the same stadium on Sunday if they beat South Africa in the final.

Jerimiah Rodrigues locked in her status an Indian favourite with an unbeaten 127 in the chase, while Harmanpreet Kaur hit 89.

But as Healy said immediately after the match, Australia also did this to themselves.

After Phoebe Litchfield's hard-hitting 119 had Australia at 1-180 in the 28th over, they collapsed to be all out for 338.

And Australia then gave Rodrigues two crucial lives, the first of which was a sitter to Healy when a top-edged sweep ballooned up in the air with the right-hander on 82.

The next was not much harder, when a catch slipped through Tahlia McGrath's hands at mid off with India still needing 55 from 41.

"It sort of feels a little bit un-Australian to be not as clinical as what we normally are," Healy said.

"We dished up a little bit too much junk to hit at times and also probably just didn't capitalise on the opportunities that we did create.

"Ultimately we just weren't sharp enough probably today, probably in all three facets to give ourselves the opportunity to win that semi-final."

Australia's frustration will no doubt be heightened by the fact they were clearly the best team in this tournament, only to again be beaten in the semi-finals.

Between T20 and ODI World Cups, Australia have won their past 24 group matches dating back to 2020.

But they hold neither trophy for the first time since 2018, after also suffering their first loss of last year's T20 tournament in the semi-final against South Africa.

"This is same thing happened in 2017," Healy said, in reference to that year's ODI semi-final defeat to India.

"We reflected on that and thought we could have done things a little bit better under pressure.

"This is just another reignition, I suppose, to our group to say we can be better at little moments of the game."

Australia have decisions to make before that next 50-over World Cup in 2029.

Healy has ruled out any chance of playing given she will be 38, while Schutt has pinpointed next year's T20 World Cup as a potential exit point.

Perry keeps an open mind on her future but will also be 38, and Beth Mooney will be 35.

Kim Garth, Alana King and captain-in-waiting Tahlia McGrath will all be 33.

There were many positives of this World Cup for Australia though, with Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland again proving they will be the next long-term stars of the show.

Ashleigh Gardner had her best World Cup with the bat and held the back end of the innings together with 63 on Thursday night, while Georgia Voll's chance will also come.