Australia’s star pacer Mitchell Starc could not wipe the smile from his face on Sunday as his wife Alyssa Healy retired from ODI cricket with a breathtaking 158 against India in the third women’s ODI in Hobart. Sitting in the commentary box during the third ODI, the Australian fast bowler applauded warmly when Healy brought up his century and his proud reaction quickly spread across social media.
It was an iconic hundred from an iconic batter. Healy produced a fairytale farewell as she smashed 158 off just 98 balls to secure Australia to a stunning 409 for 7. The innings, studded with 27 fours and two sixes, was as commanding as any she played in a glittering career that spanned more than a decade.
Australia vs India Women’s 3rd ODI: Update from Hobart
Her knock put her in elite company. She became only the sixth woman and only the second Australian to score two 150-plus knocks in ODIs. Her 150 came off 95 balls, making her the second fastest in women’s ODI history.
158 is also the highest score in women’s ODIs by Australia and the highest individual score recorded against India. In signing a century, she joined Johmari Logtenberg as the only other woman to achieve the feat in her last ODI appearance.
The emotional tone of the afternoon was set early. Healy walked out to bat through the Indian players’ guard of honor after Australia were sent out. But her beginning was cautious. She started with a maiden from Renuka Singh and survived a narrow lbw call when DRS returned the umpire’s call on leg stump. A signature move from Kashvee Gautam helped her settle in and she gradually built momentum to reach 50 off 49 balls.
At the other end, she provided brisk support from Georgia Voll, who scored 62 off 52 deliveries in a 104-run stand. Voll rode the luck early, hitting a boundary and surviving a dropped catch from Harmanpreet Kaur before eventually slotting Sneha Rana at long-on.
Healy then took control of the innings alongside Beth Mooney. The pair added 145 runs, with Mooney initially playing a supporting role before stepping up in the death overs. Healy reached her eighth ODI century, the second-most by an Australian woman, in just 79 balls before unleashing a brutal onslaught on the Indian attack. She plundered 23 runs in one off Shree Charani and needed just 16 balls to move from 100 to 150, clearing the ropes with authority and blasting through the infield at will.
Despite dealing with a calf problem in the second half of the innings, Healy showed no signs of slowing down. A double hundred briefly looked possible but was dropped behind her back with 13.3 overs remaining when she attempted an audacious back paddle off a full toss from Rana. The Hobart crowd rose as she left and in the commentary box, Starc’s applause captured the emotion of the moment.
Mooney completed her sixth ODI hundred in the final, finishing unbeaten on 106 off 84 balls. Australia slipped briefly to lose 4 for 37 in the last 10 overs, but Nicola Carey’s 34 not out from 15 deliveries ensured the hosts passed the 400-run mark.
From 2010 to 2026, Healy played 126 ODIs and scored 3,777 runs at an average of 37.02, including eight centuries. Her highest score of 170 was against England in Christchurch in 2022. On the brink of retirement, she ensured her final chapter was as emphatic as the rest of her career.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
01 March 2026 14:12 IST
