In a stunning display of cricketing prowess, Australian captain Alyssa Healy etched her name in history by leading her team to a phenomenal three-wicket victory over India. Her breathtaking innings of 142 runs powered Australia to successfully chase down a record-breaking target of 331, marking the highest-ever run chase in women’s ODI cricket. Despite valiant half-centuries from India’s Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal, their impressive total ultimately fell short against an unstoppable Australian side, bolstered by key contributions from Ashleigh Gardner and the timely return of Ellyse Perry.
Healy’s magnificent performance, a true captain’s knock of 142 runs off just 107 deliveries, secured a memorable win in this World Cup encounter. This remarkable chase not only set a new benchmark, surpassing Sri Lanka’s 2024 record of 302 runs against South Africa, but also propelled Australia to the top of the tournament standings with seven points, while India held onto third place with four points.
Her innings was a masterclass in aggressive batting, featuring an incredible 21 fours and three sixes, showcasing perfect placement and impeccable timing. Healy was particularly ruthless against Indian pacer Kranti Gaud, smashing a six and three boundaries in one over alone. Demonstrating her versatility, she skillfully employed sweep shots against Sneh Rana’s fuller deliveries, consistently finding gaps between square leg and mid-wicket. Her blistering fifty came off just 35 balls, making it the fastest of the tournament.
For India, Sri Charani offered a glimmer of hope, delivering a commendable spell with figures of 3 for 41 runs from her 10 overs, which included the vital breakthroughs of Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland.
Alyssa Healy found excellent companionship in Ashleigh Gardner, who played a crucial supporting role with a solid 45 runs. Their 95-run partnership for the fourth wicket was pivotal, especially after Ellyse Perry was forced to retire hurt, adding an element of tension to Australia’s chase.
The Australian skipper celebrated her sixth Women’s ODI century – and her first while leading the team – with a single off Deepti Sharma. Her sensational knock eventually came to an end when she was caught by substitute Radha Yadav off Charani’s bowling.
Following Healy’s departure, Australia faced a brief period of nerves as they quickly lost Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, and Sophie Molineux. However, Ellyse Perry, returning to the crease after her earlier injury, steadied the ship and steered her team to victory with a composed, unbeaten 47 runs.
Earlier in the match, India’s batting innings was built upon brilliant half-centuries from their openers, Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal. Their formidable 155-run partnership in just 24.3 overs provided a robust platform, allowing India to post a challenging total of 330 runs.
Mandhana showcased her aggressive style, scoring a rapid 80 off 66 balls. A standout moment was her explosive over against Sophie Molineux, where she hammered 18 runs, including a six and two fours.
Rawal, complementing Mandhana’s aggression, scored a steady 75 runs off 96 deliveries, occasionally displaying elegant strokeplay against spinner Gardner. This impressive collaboration marked their sixth 100-run partnership in just 21 innings, bringing them closer to India’s all-time record of seven such stands, previously held by Purnima Raut and Mithali Raj.
During her excellent innings, the 29-year-old Mandhana also celebrated a significant personal milestone, becoming the fastest and youngest player to reach 5000 runs in Women’s One-Day Internationals.
However, India’s momentum suffered a temporary setback after Mandhana’s dismissal, as they swiftly lost Rawal, captain Harmanpreet Kaur, and Harleen Deol in quick succession, finding themselves at 240 for four wickets in the 38th over.
Richa Ghosh and Jemimah Rodrigues then provided much-needed stability, forging a crucial 54-run partnership for the fifth wicket that helped India recover and reach their competitive final total.
For Australia, Annabel Sutherland was the star with the ball, taking an outstanding 5 wickets for just 40 runs. Her skillful use of slower deliveries in the crucial death overs effectively curbed India’s scoring, ultimately limiting them to 330.
This thrilling encounter ultimately underscored Australia’s incredible batting depth and unparalleled chasing abilities, demonstrating their dominance. While India showcased a strong batting performance, it was ultimately not enough to clinch a victory against the world-beating Australians.