Discover the captivating story of Healy’s Fairytale 158 and Mooney’s Ton Crush as they celebrate their championship victories. Relive the excitement now!
Introduction:
The Bellerive Oval in Hobart has witnessed many historic moments, but few carried the emotional weight and sheer statistical audacity of the third One-Day International between Australia and India. On a sun-drenched Sunday, the cricketing world paused to witness the final chapter of Alyssa Healy’s legendary ODI career. It was a departure scripted by the gods of the game: a career-defining 158 from just 98 deliveries that didn’t just win a match, but effectively dismantled the world champions.
Australia’s monumental 409 for 7—their second-highest total in the format—set the stage for a crushing 185-run victory. While the result secured an unassailable 8-4 lead in the multi-format series, the day belonged entirely to a captain who refused to go quietly into the night. See also: Healy, Mooney, and Perry Lead Australia to a 60-Run Win
The Guard of Honor and a Nervous Start
The atmosphere was electric before a ball was even bowled. When India’s captain Harmanpreet Kaur won her sixth consecutive toss of the tour and elected to field, it set the stage for Healy’s final walk to the middle. In a touching display of sportsmanship, the Indian team formed a guard of honor, acknowledging a rival who has defined the modern era of women’s cricket.
Healy’s final innings actually began with a rare moment of silence—a maiden over from Renuka Singh Thakur. There was a slice of early fortune, too; an LBW shout from Renuka was turned down, and DRS revealed it to be “Umpire’s Call” on the leg stump. The close shave seemed to sharpen Healy’s focus. What followed was an exhibition of power-hitting that transitioned from a steady simmer to a localized hurricane.
The Mid-Innings Blitz: 100 to 150 in Record Time
While Phoebe Litchfield fell early for 14, the arrival of young gun Georgia Voll (62 off 52) provided the perfect foil for Healy. The pair put on 134 for the second wicket, with Voll showing the same “Voll-istic” aggression that saw her notch a century in the second ODI. However, the real carnage began when Beth Mooney joined her captain.
Healy reached her eighth ODI century off 79 balls, a milestone met with a standing ovation from the Hobart crowd. But the captain wasn’t finished. Despite battling a calf strain she jokingly attributed to “getting old,” Healy shifted into a gear few players in history possess. She took only 16 more deliveries to move from 100 to 150, at one point taking 23 runs off a single over from the unfortunate Shree Charani.
Her innings of 158 included 27 boundaries and two towering sixes. It was the highest individual score by an Australian woman on home soil and the highest anywhere against India. When she finally fell—bowled by Sneh Rana while attempting a premeditated reverse paddle to a full toss—the stadium rose as one.
Mooney Ices the Cake with a 360-Degree Masterclass
With the foundation laid at 3-281 in the 37th over, Beth Mooney ensured there was no respite for the beleaguered Indian bowlers. Mooney’s innings was a testament to her versatility. While Healy provided the thunder, Mooney provided the lightning, manipulating the field with 360-degree precision.
She reached her sixth ODI century in the final over, finishing unbeaten on 106 from 84 balls. A brief lower-order wobble saw Australia lose 3 for 10, but hometown hero Nicola Carey (34* off 15) ensured a grandstand finish. Carey’s cameo, which included a stunning reverse-sweep for six, propelled Australia past the 400-mark for the first time on Australian soil.
For India’s bowlers, it was a day to forget. Shree Charani finished with figures of 2 for 106, becoming the first Indian woman to concede a century of runs in an ODI.
The Indian Collapse: King and Wareham Dominate
Chasing 410 was always going to require a miracle, and that miracle evaporated in the second over when Smriti Mandhana was caught for a duck off Nicola Carey. Pratika Rawal (27) and Jemimah Rodrigues (42 off 29) briefly threatened to make a fight of it, striking a flurry of boundaries to keep the run rate respectable.
However, the introduction of Alana King changed the complexion of the chase. King has a long-standing love affair with the Bellerive Oval pitch, and she exploited the mounting pressure perfectly. She trapped Harmanpreet Kaur LBW for 25—a pivotal wicket that effectively ended India’s realistic hopes. King finished with 4 for 33, slicing through the middle order with a mixture of drift and sharp turns.
In a moment of pure sporting theater, with the game effectively won, Healy decided to roll the arm over for the first time in her 298-game international career. She conceded 12 runs in two overs of medium pace, much to the delight of her teammates and the fans. Georgia Wareham eventually wrapped up the tail, taking 2 for 3 as India were bundled out for 224.
A Legacy Cemented: The Meaning of the Multi-Format Lead
This 185-run victory completes a 3-0 whitewash in the ODI leg, a remarkable turnaround after Australia lost the T20I series 1-2. By securing the maximum six points from the One-Dayers, Australia now holds an 8-4 lead in the multi-format series.
With only the four-point Perth Test remaining, India can at best hope to draw the series on points, but the trophy—as per tradition—will remain in Australian hands. More importantly, the day served as a reminder of the gap that still exists between Australia and the rest of the world when the Southern Stars are in a clinical mood.
As Healy prepares for her final international appearance in the pink-ball Test at the WACA, she leaves the ODI arena with 3,777 runs and a reputation as perhaps the greatest big-game player the women’s game has ever seen. Hobart didn’t just see a win; it saw the end of an era.
