Healy’s century helps Australia to record chase

ICC Women’s World Cup, Visakhapatnam

India 330 (48.5 overs): Mandhana 80 (66), Rawal 75 (96); Sutherland 5-40

Australia 331-7 (49 overs): Healy 142 (106), Perry 47* (52); Charani 3-41

Australia won by three wickets

Alyssa Healy’s brilliant 142 helped Australia complete a record women’s one-day international chase as they beat India by three wickets in the World Cup.

On a featherbed pitch in Visakhapatnam, India posted a commanding 330 from 48.5 overs – the highest total Australia had ever conceded in an ODI.

The platform for India was laid by a 155-run opening stand between Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal, who accelerated quickly once they got themselves in.

Mandhana was the chief aggressor, top-scoring with 80 off 66 balls, while a string of cameos from India’s middle order continued the assault.

All-rounder Annabel Sutherland swung some of the momentum back Australia’s way in the second half of India’s innings as she finished with impressive figures of 5-40.

Lesser teams might have been daunted by the chase, but Australia captain Healy produced a stoic knock to put her side on course for victory.

Healy’s innings off 107 balls featured 21 fours and three sixes and was chanceless until she sliced Shree Charani, who claimed 3-41, to Sneh Rana, grapsing a diving catch with her fingernails at point.

With 66 required off 67 deliveries, Ash Gardner, who made 45, steered Australia close before Kim Garth and Ellyse Perry got the World Cup holders within striking distance.

Perry had retired earlier in her innings with cramp but came back to finish the job and whacked a six off Rana to get Australia over the line with six balls to spare.

This was a chase that required cool heads, and at times Healy appeared to have ice running through her veins.

The 35-year-old masterfully dictated the chase. Knowing when to retreat, seeing off moments of pressure, especially from Charani, and when to put her foot down.

Healy’s effectiveness both sides of the wicket, sweeping and cutting to the tune of 118 of her 142 runs, proved to be key in unlocking India’s bowling attack.

Her mental fortitude was equally as impressive, given she had kept wicket and captained for nearly 50 overs before heading out to open the batting with Phoebe Litchfield.

Their partnership, worth 85 before the left-handed Litchfield departed for a 39-ball 40, was the launchpad for Australia’s record chase.

There was a brief acknowledgement and a puff of the cheeks from Healy when she reached three figures – the value of a century is in the outcome of the match.

Healy averages a shade under 35 in ODIs but has a knack of delivering in big moments.

It was the first time she had made an hundred in the format since her 170 against England in 2022. That match was the World Cup final.

There was a swagger about the way India went about setting a total against the defending champions.

Mandhana did not so much as set the tone, but crank the volume up to full blast as she and Rawal put on the highest partnership against Australia in Women’s World Cup history.

Indeed, for a period, Australia’s players looked shell shocked. Their bowlers exercising plans grounded in futility as the ball disappeared to the boundary.

Garth’s back-of-the-hand slower ball? Biffed. Sutherland’s bouncer? Boshed. Tahlia McGrath’s yorker? Bashed.

Even the normally loquacious Healy – niece of former Australia men’s wicketkeeper Ian – lacked her usual chirp behind the stumps.

It was her decision to bowl first citing a desire to “have a look” at the conditions. As she later discovered, the pitch was an absolute belter for batting.

Even after Mandhana and Rawal were dismissed, India’s middle-order juggernaut kept up the momentum.

Jemimah Rodrigues’s 33 came at a strike rate off 157.14. Richa Ghosh plundered sixes off McGrath and Alana King in her 32.

However, India’s last four wickets went down for 10 runs, Sutherland leading the way with a maiden ODI five-wicket haul.

Australia captain Alyssa Healy: “Really proud of the group to pull ourselves over the line there. I kept preaching the depth we have got in our line-up, but full credit to our bowlers as well, who pulled it back as we could have been chasing 360 plus.

“I was trying to lock in for a big day, and to be out there and contribute heavily is great, but I would have been delighted to see it out.

“To chase 330 is new territory so I am glad we have the confidence to do that now. Hopefully we don’t have to do it again but if we do, we know we can do it.”

India captain Harmanpret Kaur: “We needed 40 or 50 more runs. We knew it was a good batting wicket, and not being able to capitalise towards the end is what really cost us.