NEW DELHI: The Indian women's cricket team suffered their first defeat in the ICC Women's ODI World Cup, going down to South Africa by three wickets in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. The co-hosts had begun their campaign with consecutive victories over Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Harmanpreet Kaur fumes after India's loss to South Africa: 'We didn't take responsibility'

After the loss to South Africa, India currently sit third on the points table with four points. The Proteas also have four points from three games but are placed fourth due to an inferior net run rate.

India face a challenging road ahead in the tournament, with key matches against top-tier opponents. Their next game is against defending champions Australia on Sunday, October 12, in Visakhapatnam, followed by encounters with England, New Zealand and Bangladesh.

How India can qualify for semifinals

Reaching the last four of the tournament is still within India's reach, but with upcoming matches against tough opponents, their position could be at risk. They need to win at least three of their remaining four games to secure a place in the semi-finals.

Looking at the tournament's history offers perspective on India's current situation. In the 2022 World Cup, some teams qualified for the next stage despite suffering three defeats, while India, even after winning four matches, failed to progress. This shows that India still have some margin for error, but clinching qualification early would be far safer than depending on other results.