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New Delhi: India tripped from a seemingly comfortable position in their run chase as England entered the semi-finals of Women’s World Cup with a four-run win in Indore on Sunday.

India neeed 55 runs off 53 balls at one stage in chase of 289 runs but couldn’t complete the task after Heather Knight’s 109 took England to 288 for 8 at the Holkar stadium.

Smriti Mandhana (88), Harmanpreet Kaur (70) and Deepti Sharma (50) starred for India but they could only reach 284 for 6 in their 50 overs, as England booked their their spot in the semi-finals alongside Australia and South Africa.

India slumped to their third consecutive defeat after losses to South Africa and Australia and face New Zealand in Navi Mumbai on Thursday in a do-or-die match.

Deepti restricts England despite Knight ton

Earlier, Heather Knight scored a super century before India clawed back through off-spinner Deepti to restrict England to 288 for 8.

In her 300th international game, Knight stroked her third ODI ton and her highest score in the 50-over format, scoring 109 off 91 balls with 15 boundaries and a six.

Riding on Knight’s knock, England threatened to post over 300 runs but Deepti Sharma pegged them back with her four for 51 match haul, her best figures in an ODI World Cup game.

India skipper Harmanpreet introduced her in the 16th over and Deepti picked up her 150th wicket by dismissing Tammy Beaumont (22) before accounting for Amy Jones (56) before triggering a mini batting collapse at the end of England’s innings, getting rid of Emma Lamb (11) and Alice Capsey (2).

Former skipper Knight put together an 113-run partnership off 106 deliveries with captain Nat Sciver-Brunt (38)to set up a solid platform for England.

Openers Jones (56 off 68 balls) and Beaumont put on 77 runs in the first 10 overs but they faltered when left-arm spinner Sree Charani (2/68) had Sciver-Brunt caught by Harmanpreet with a timely leap.

Knight’s run out after Sneh Rana’s accurate throw in the 45th over, also harmed England’s chance of scoring quickly in the death overs as they lost five wickets in the last 10 overs.

Brief Scores:

England 288/8 in 50 overs (Heather Knight 109, Amy Jones 56; Deepti Sharma 4/51, Shree Charani 2/68) beat India 284/6 in 50 overs (Smriti Mandhana 88, Harmanpreet Kaur 70, Deepti Sharma 50; Nat Sciver-Brunt 2/47) by 4 runs.