Australia send off Healy with big Test win over India
Justin Chadwick |
There was no fairytale final knock for Alyssa Healy, but the retiring skipper has been farewelled in winning style nonetheless as Australia cruised to a crushing 10-wicket Test triumph over India at the WACA Ground.
Despite chasing just 25 runs for victory on Sunday, Healy opted not to promote herself up the order for one final hurrah in front of 2303 fans in Perth.
Instead, Georgia Voll (16 not out) and Phoebe Litchfield (11no) polished off the required runs in just 4.3 overs as Australia wrapped up victory inside the first session of the third day.
Australia won the multi-format series 12 points to four.
India won the T20s 2-1 before Australia swept the ODIs 3-0 and then dominated the one-off Test.
Healy made just 13 in Australia’s first-innings total of 323 batting at No.4, and there was a groundswell of public support for her to open for the run chase.
But sticking to her team-first mantra, Healy instead let her teammates cash in on the glory, with Voll cracking the winning runs.
Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner chaired Healy off once the win was secured.
So as for Healy’s decision not to open on Sunday?
“I’ve got to protect my average of 20,” she quipped during the on-stage presentations.
“We’re watching the future of Australian cricket walk out there and mark centre and open. I didn’t want to get in the way of that.
“I’ve had my time in the sun, so it’s time for the next generation to show what they can do.”
India resumed play on day three at 6-105 in their second innings and still needing a further 20 runs to make Australia bat again.
Stubborn resistance from debutant Pratika Rawal (63) ensured India knocked them off without any more losses, but from there the hosts put on the squeeze, dismissing their opponents for 149.
Sneh Rana (30) was the first to fall when she was bowled by offspinner Gardner (2-8).
Healy pulled off a sharp catch at slip a short time later to send Kashvee Gautam packing for a duck off the bowling of legspinner Alana King (2-23).
King snared her second wicket six overs later when she got one to shoot up unexpectedly and Sayali Satghare could only fend it to the fielder in short.
And India’s innings came to an end when Annabel Sutherland took a diving catch to end Rawal’s brave knock.
Sutherland was named player of the match after returning figures of 4-46 and 2-15 to go with her score of 129 in Australia’s first innings.
The 24-year-old has now notched four Test centuries, putting her just one short of the overall record in women’s cricket.
She was also named player of the series after producing a number of dominant displays with both bat and ball.
Perry also had a Test to remember, with her knock of 76 bringing her career Test run tally to 1006 – surpassing the previous Australian women’s record of 1002 held by Karen Rolton.
AAP