Women's WC 2022: How Team India can qualify for semis after loss to Australia?

India's road to the ICC Women's World Cup 2022 semi-finals got tougher after Saturday's narrow 6-wicket defeat against Meg Lanning's Australia in Auckland. Australia became the first side to make it to the last-four stage with a record chase in the tournament's history.

Half-centuries from Indian skipper Mithali Raj (68 off 96 balls), Yastika Bhatia (59 off 83 balls), and Harmanpreet Kaur (57 not out off 47 balls) helped the team post a total of 277 for seven. However, despite posting a mammoth total, Openers Alyssa Healy (72 off 65) and Rachael Haynes (43 off 52) got Australia off to a flier with a 121-run stand before captain Lanning (97 off 107) helped the team seal a semi-final berth.

As for India, the path to the last four has become tough after their third loss in five games. The 2017 World Cup runners-up play their remaining ties against Bangladesh on March 22 and against South Africa on March 27.

"When you lose you always feel you are 10-15 runs short. I think the way Australia started the innings, were always ahead of the asking rate. The fielders couldn't back up the bowlers," Mithali Raj said after the game.

"The batting is something we wanted to improve and we did. We need to do well in all departments in the remaining games. Next two games are must win," the Indian captain added.

India will have to win the two clashes and ensure they edge past hosts New Zealand, defending champions England, and Bangladesh on a net run rate that can come into play as all four teams can reach a maximum of eight points.

With a net run rate of 0.456 and four points, the Women in Blue currently sit on the fourth spot of the league table, one spot ahead of the White Ferns.

If England beats New Zealand on Sunday, they will jump to the upper half of the table and can leapfrog Mithali Raj's side. However, a defeat tomorrow could end the defending champions' campaign, as England won't be able to reach the 8-point mark.

With five wins from five matches, Australia became the first team to reach the semi-finals on Saturday with ten points and a net run rate of 1.424. In all likelihood, South Africa, with four wins in four games, will also reach the semis.

The West Indies, which currently sits third with six points from five games and a net run rate of -0.930, will also be hoping to make it through the last four, as they face bottom-placed Pakistan in one of the two remaining matches.

Team India, which kick-started their campaign with an emphatic 107-run victory over arch-rivals Pakistan and later steamrolled the West Indies by 155 runs, will have to earn a positive result in their next two matches to stay alive in the tournament.