A legendary farewell! Alyssa Healy, the Australian cricket icon, signed off from one-day international cricket with a bang, scoring an incredible 158 against India. This performance not only secured Australia's highest score on home turf but also set the stage for a thrilling conclusion to her ODI career.
Healy, a true veteran at 35, partnered seamlessly with Georgia Voll, and then with Beth Mooney, to put Australia in a commanding position. Despite losing a few wickets towards the end, the team finished with a massive total of 7-409, and Mooney herself reached a century.
But here's where it gets controversial... Healy's 98-ball innings, which ended in the 37th over, showcased her ability to dominate the strike rate, pushing it beyond a run a ball. Mooney, in a brilliant display of support, accelerated her own run-rate post-Healy's dismissal, ensuring Australia crossed the 400-run mark with ease.
Mooney, reflecting on her partnership with Healy, said, "It was an honor to share the crease with her. I've witnessed her magic before... she always finds a way to send the ball to the boundary. To finish her ODI career like this is truly remarkable."
Healy dominated the Indian bowlers, hitting 27 boundaries and clearing the ropes twice. Her husband, Mitchell Starc, the Australian opening bowler, remained silent in the commentary box as his wife reached her century, a moment captured on camera.
With this performance, Healy has set herself up nicely for the upcoming Test match against India, starting on Friday at the WACA.
In other news, left-arm fast bowler Lucy Hamilton made her Australian debut in Healy's farewell game, replacing an unwell Megan Schutt. Georgia Wareham also joined the XI, taking Darcie Brown's spot. India made three changes to their team, bringing in Renuka Thakur, Harleen Deol, and Sneh Rana.
Australia currently leads the multi-format series 6-4. After India's initial victory in the T20s (2-1), the hosts have bounced back, winning the first two ODIs.
Before Sunday's game, the series stood at 6-4 in Australia's favor. The hosts won the opening ODI in Brisbane last Tuesday, and on Friday, Voll's century guided Australia to a five-wicket victory over India in Hobart.
The Indians showed their respect for Healy by forming a guard of honor as she walked out to bat with Phoebe Litchfield.
Healy's counterpart, Harmanpreet Kaur, is also in top form, having won the toss six times in the series.
On Sunday, Australia also announced that all-rounder Kim Garth will return home to continue her rehabilitation from a quad injury. Garth, who has yet to resume bowling, will rejoin the team in WA ahead of the Test match starting March 6.
And this is the part most people miss... the teams for the game:
Australia: Alyssa Healy (capt), Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll, Beth Mooney (wk), Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Georgia Wareham, Nicola Carey, Alana King, Lucy Hamilton.
India: Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Sree Charani, Sneh Rana, Renuka Singh Thakur.
AAP and Scott Spits
