Australian captain Alyssa Healy departed from international cricket in the most appropriate way possible as the hosts a He commanded a 10-wicket victory over India in a one-off day-night Test at the WACA Ground in Perth on Sunday. The crucial win over three days was the perfect farewell for the veteran wicketkeeper-batsman and also marked Australia’s dominant victory against the reigning world champions in the multi-format series.
Australia complete the multi-format series against India with a dominant Test win
India resumed the third day at 105 for 6 in their second innings, still needing 20 runs not to bowl Australia again. Debutant Pratika Rawal showed admirable resilience as she hit 63 off 137 balls, but the visitors struggled to build a partnership around her. The Australian bowlers tightened the screws early in the day, ensuring that India’s resistance did not last long.
In support of Rawal, Sneh Rana was eventually bowled for 30 by Ashleigh Gardner. Soon after, Healy made an impact behind the stumps and off the bowling of Alana King, Kashvee caught Gautam for a duck. King struck again soon after, removing Sayali Satghare and Rawal’s valiant innings finally came to an end when Annabel Sutherland took a brilliant diving catch at fine leg.
India’s innings folded soon after, leaving Australia with a modest 25-run target to win the match. Openers Georgia Voll (16 not out) and Phoebe Litchfield (11 not out) wasted little time in getting the job done, chasing down the target in just 4.3 overs, sparking emotional celebrations among the home team.
Annabel Sutherland shines with an excellent all-round performance
The standout performer of the match was undoubtedly Annabel Sutherland who put in a sensational all-round display. The 24-year-old was adjudged Man of the Match after scoring a magnificent 129 in Australia’s first innings and following up with impressive bowling figures of 61 for 61 from 23 overs. His century was another milestone in what was already shaping up to be a remarkable Test career. Sutherland now has four Test hundreds, leaving her just one shy of the overall record in women’s Test cricket.
Another seasoned star has engraved his name in the book of records. Ellyse Perry scored a valuable 76 in the first innings to take her tally to 1006 Test runs, eclipsing Karen Rolton’s previous Australian record of 1002 runs in the format.
Alysa Healy team’s first farewell ceremony
Despite the match being a full decision, Alyssa Healy chose to keep the spotlight away from her in her final appearance. With Australia needing just 25 runs to win, there were suggestions, including from coach Shelley Nitschke, that Healy could move up the batting order for a memorable final innings. However, the skipper stuck to his team-first philosophy and turned down the opportunity.
“There was a bit of sadness sitting in the dressing room and realizing I couldn’t come back” Healy appeared after the match. “I’m not going back next week and I’m not going to sit with this group of people. It saddens me more than anything to do with cricket.”
He added: “It’s not about me or about the team. We’re proud to be the first team and I didn’t want to spoil anything.”
An emotional farewell to Healy at the WACA
Once victory was secured, the emotional weight of the moment was clear. Healy was carried off the pitch by long-time teammates Ellyse Perry and Ahleigh Gardner, a poignant gesture that symbolized the end of his 16-year international career.
“Honestly, it hit me a while ago…I can’t go back to that locker room and be around girls again.” said an emotional Healy. “But I’ll enjoy it next time and sing the team song again.”
The scenes at the WACA reflected the respect and admiration he commanded within the team and across the cricketing world.
India’s young players are showing promise in the one-off Test
Although the result was disappointing for India, the match gave promising signs for the future. The defeat ended India’s nine-Test unbeaten run in women’s cricket since 2006. However, several young players made notable contributions during the game.
Debutants Pratika Rawal, Sayali Satghare, Kranti Gaud and Kashvee Gautam have gained valuable experience at the international level. Rawal’s second-innings 63 stood out as a particularly encouraging effort, showing maturity and composure on a tough WACA pitch.
Also WATCH: Darcie Brown cleans Harmanpreet Kaur beautifully in AUS-W vs IND-W one-off Test
Australia’s comeback in the series
The Test victory also marked a remarkable turnaround for Australia in the multi-format series. The hosts had started the competition on a disappointing note, losing the T20I leg 2-1, raising questions over the start of Sophie Molineux’s captaincy tenure.
However, Alyssa Healy’s return for the ODI leg changed the team’s fortunes. Australia dominated the ODI series 3-0 and a commanding Test victory saw them finish 12-4 on aggregate. It was also Australia’s first Test win over India since 2006, adding further significance to the result.
This article was originally published here WomenCricket.coma Cricket Times company.
