If farewells are meant to be memorable, Alyssa Healy authored one for the ages. In her final ODI appearance, the Australian captain delivered a breathtaking 158 from just 98 balls, propelling Australia to a mammoth 409 for 7 against India in Hobart and sealing an unassailable lead in the multi-format series.
Battling a calf strain she jokingly attributed to “getting old,” Healy showed anything but decline. Her innings was a masterclass in controlled aggression — 27 boundaries and two towering sixes stitched into a display of timing and authority. It was her second 150-plus score in ODIs, placing her among an exclusive group of women to achieve the feat, and it came at remarkable speed, her 150 arriving in just 95 deliveries. The knock also set multiple benchmarks: the highest women’s ODI score on Australian soil and the highest by any player against India in the format.
At the other end, Beth Mooney played the perfect foil before accelerating in emphatic fashion. Initially content to rotate strike during a 145-run stand with Healy, Mooney shifted gears after wickets fell in the closing overs. Her unbeaten 106 from 84 balls — reaching three figures in the final over — ensured Australia stormed past the 400-mark. Late fireworks from Nicola Carey, who struck 34 not out from just 15 deliveries, added gloss to an already daunting total despite a brief wobble that saw Australia lose 4 for 37 near the end.
Earlier, Georgia Voll’s crisp 62 from 52 balls laid the foundation in a 104-run opening partnership. India’s bowlers endured a punishing afternoon, with Shree Charani conceding over 100 runs — a rare and unwanted statistical milestone — as three bowlers leaked more than 80 in the innings.
India’s chase never truly ignited. Early wickets stalled momentum, and the escalating required rate soon rendered the task unrealistic. Jemimah Rodrigues provided a burst of resistance with a lively 42 off 29 balls, but once she departed, the contest drifted firmly in Australia’s favor. Alana King dismantled the middle order with figures of 4 for 33, while Sneh Rana’s 44 from No.9 offered late defiance in an otherwise one-sided reply. India were eventually dismissed for 224, falling 185 runs short.
The gulf in the contest was so pronounced that, with India reeling deep in the chase, Healy indulged in a light-hearted moment — bowling the first two overs of her international career as the outcome became a formality.
The comprehensive win completed a 3-0 ODI sweep over the reigning world champions and pushed Australia to an 8-4 advantage in the multi-format series. With only the Perth Test remaining — and just four points available — India can now at best force a draw in the overall contest.
For Healy, though, the day transcended numbers and series standings. Walking out through a guard of honour, she began cautiously, even playing out a maiden over first up. A narrow lbw escape early in her innings sharpened her focus, and from there she unfurled a dazzling repertoire — pulls, sweeps, lofted drives and fierce cuts that overwhelmed India’s attack.
Her eighth ODI century, reached in just 79 balls, was followed by a ferocious assault that turned dominance into demolition. By the time she finally departed, Hobart had witnessed not merely a commanding victory, but a farewell that captured the essence of her career — bold, entertaining, and unforgettable.
As Australia look ahead to the final Test in Perth, the image that will linger is Healy standing tall after another boundary, soaking in the applause. It was a final act worthy of a glittering ODI journey — a goodbye delivered at full throttle.
