In a fitting finale to Alyssa Healy’s illustrious ODI career, Australia Recorded his second highest score against India In the third and final match of the series against India at Bellerive Oval, Hobart on Sunday, March 1.
Alyssa Healy’s masterclass lights up Hobart
Walking out of the Indian team after a guard of honour, Healy produced an innings for the ages in his final ODI.
After Phoebe Litchfield was out for 14, caught by Sri Charani off the bowling of Kashvi Gautam, Healy found an able partner in the form of Georgia Vole. The pair added 104 runs off 91 balls for the second wicket, with Healy scoring the quick runs while Woll contributed a solid 62 runs off 52 balls before falling to Sneh Rana.
Record partnership between Healy and Beth Mooney
The real carnage began when Beth Mooney joined her long-time opening partner at the crease. When Australia’s score was 136 runs for 2 wickets in the 22nd over, the two most experienced batsmen of the lineup launched such an attack that the Indian bowling attack faltered.
Healy and Mooney plundered 145 runs off just 92 balls, with Healy making the bulk of the scoring – contributing 100 runs during the partnership, while Mooney skillfully rotated the strike, making 44 off 49 balls in that time. The Australian captain brought up her century off 79 balls and continued her onslaught, eventually scoring 158 runs off 98 balls in the 37th over when she was trapped attempting a reverse sweep off Sneh Rana.
His innings included 27 fours and two sixes, a masterclass of controlled aggression that demonstrated why he will be remembered as one of the game’s all-time greats.
After Healy was reduced to 281 for 3 in the 37th over, Annabel Sutherland provided quick assistance to Mooney, adding 47 runs from 33 balls before falling to Deepti Sharma for 23. Ashley Gardner (4 off 5) and Tahlia McGrath (2 off 4) fell cheaply, but Georgia Wareham made 12 off 5 balls and Nicola Carey made an explosive unbeaten 34. Just 15 balls to spare ensured Australia had a great finish.
Carey’s innings was particularly devastating, containing 4 fours and a six, as he added 54 not out off just 25 balls with Mooney, who had by then settled into his anchor role.
See also: Mitchell Starc rejoiced when Alyssa Healy scored an ODI century against India
Mooney’s century is a true tribute to Healy
Beth Mooney’s unbeaten 106 off 101 balls was the perfect complement to Healy’s fireworks. The left-handed batsman played the role of anchor effectively, rotating the strike effectively in the middle overs before opening the batting in the final stages. She remained unbeaten at the end of the innings, facing 101 balls and hitting 10 fours.
The partnership between Mooney and Healy underlined the remarkable understanding that the pair have developed over the years since they started out together – an understanding that will now come to an end in ODIs but will leave behind a legacy of match-winning stands.
Meanwhile, India’s bowlers faced a difficult afternoon on the Bellerive surface. Teenager Sri Charani was the most expensive, conceding 106 runs in her 10 overs, while taking two wickets – that of McGrath and Wareham. Sneh Rana took 2 wickets for 66 runs in 10 overs and got the crucial wickets of Woll and Healy.
Renuka Singh (1 for 64) and Kashvi Gautam (1 for 83) also took wickets, but at a heavy cost, while Deepti Sharma was robbed of 90 runs in 10 overs. The Indian attack had no answer to Australia’s depth and quality on a day with Healy determined to sign off brilliantly.
Australia’s total score is 409 runs for 7 wickets. This is the eighth highest score in women’s ODI history. The innings included three fifty-plus scores – Healy’s 158, Mooney’s 106 not out and Woll’s 62 – demonstrating the extraordinary depth in Australian women’s cricket as they prepare for the one-off Test against India starting in Perth on March 6.
See also: Alyssa Healy receives guard of honor from Indian players in her final ODI
This article was first published here WomenCricket.comA Cricket Times Company.