India's campaign at the 2025 World Cup has taken a troubling turn with three successive high-pressure defeats revealing a concerning pattern. Each loss has come on a true batting surface - conditions that should have suited India's strengths. Yet, the team has stumbled repeatedly in the clutch stages to concede six vital points over the last two weeks. Whether it was defending totals, setting them up or chasing under lights, the back end of their innings have consistently exposed the frailties under pressure.

In the rain-delayed game against South Africa in Vizag, India's top-order suffered a third straight collapse on a good surface and for a third straight time, the lower-order led by a Richa Ghosh blinder bailed them out to 252. The run-defence was well on track, until it wasn't. With 52 to defend in 30 balls, pace and spin collectively erred in the face of an epic counterattack from Nadine de Klerk to concede a victory with seven balls to spare.

At the same venue, on an even better batting track, India's top-order finally came to the party against all-conquering Australia. And with intent from all - well, maybe barring one. But with an opening platform of 150-plus on the board, cameos and not sustained attack from thereon threatened to squander the early advantage. When 350+ seemed on the cards, the lower-order threw it away. The 36 India scored at a run-a-ball towards the end before they were bowled out for 330 - this time wasting the last seven deliveries - meant they were under par. Unfazed as ever, Australia registered the record chase to swat India aside despite a late scare - shining the biggest spotlight on India's tactical misstep of only fielding five proper bowlers.

India had a week's break to re-think their combinations. While it always meant sacrificing a top-order batter - none of them a proven allrounder - for the cushion of an extra bowler/allrounder, the axe fell on arguably their best player of spin against World no. 1 Sophie Ecclestone-led bowling attack. To their credit, India's six-bowler attack did keep England to sub-par 288 for the conditions, in a game they had been uncharacteristically asked to chase under lights and dew. Aware of being a batter short, the senior-most of the new top-five stepped up with composed fifties to set the base but a series of brain fades, at a time England were more desperate than India, led to a meltdown that cost two more points.

A set Smriti Mandhana fell on 88, at the first sight of spin returning to attack, to a shot she labelled impulsive. India needed 55 in 52 at the time, with Deepti Sharma in her flow and a bunch of in-form allrounders to follow. England's spinners applied the squeeze, and the home side's chase unraveled.

All these near-misses are a direct result of failure to absorb pressure in crunch situations. Frustratingly, the defeats have come against teams India beat handsomely, or at least gave tough competition to, in the bilaterals of the ICC Women's ODI Championship 2022-2025. South Africa were swept 3-0 in Bengaluru last year, England lost five of the six ODIs in their own backyard across two series in this World Cup cycle. Australia dominated two of the three series until last December, but were given a serious run for their money in the preparatory rubber just ahead of the tournament - including succumbing to their first-ever 100-plus run defeat in the format and then having to watch Mandhana-led batting give a serious crack at their 412 in Delhi.

Worryingly, the last time India beat one of the SENA teams in an ODI World Cup was courtesy Harmanpreet Kaur's 171 not out - they've lost all eight games since including the final. Their last win against them in a T20 World Cup was only in the 2020 edition, against New Zealand.

From the 2017 final to the 2020 title clash in front of a packed MCG, to semifinal exits in 2018 and 2023, and the meltdown in Commonwealth gold medal clash in 2022 - all ended in heartbreaks from relatively comfortable positions. India have failed to make it past the group stages in the last World Cups across formats now. In their last ODI World Cup, defeats at the hands of SENA sent them packing early despite the massive strides the team had made in the IWC cycle since finishing runners-up to England.

This repeated inability to convert bilateral form and excellence into tournament success when progression is on the line exposes an underlying vulnerability in temperament. What happened over the last two weeks aren't isolated failures; they point to a mental block and a lack of composure in crunch moments. Whether it were the bowlers losing their lengths under pressure, or the batters freezing in death overs instead of letting loose - India have repeatedly let games slip from winning position not for the lack of skill but for the lack of steel.

It demands a hard look at India's finishing capabilities, both with the bat and ball. While the execution in key phases of the game has been poor, what's more concerning is the lack of clarity and calm in the middle that belittling the potential in their ranks. These are moments that define championship-winning sides and right now, India are falling well short. Even if their home advantage exists only on paper, given the lack of game time on the shortlisted venues, India's inability to adapt - and adapt quickly - has been glaring.

"Yeah, we accept that we were not able to finish," head coach Amol Muzumdar said ahead of the crucial game against New Zealand in Navi Mumbai. "We have had a very nice discussion about it with the team. We always reiterate within the team that it is important to start well, but it is even important to finish better. We have had that discussion and hopefully going forward, we will," he added.

Luckily, they still have fate in their own hands with two games to go, and at a familiar venue at last. With expectations sky-high as World Cup hosts, India now need a swift course-correction. It's no longer about rewriting history anymore. It has to be about refusing to repeat it.