Alyssa Healy’s candid assessment of the Indian women’s team has added fresh spice to the build-up for the ODI series in New Chandigarh and the upcoming ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025.
Calling it the “most stable Indian team” she has seen, the Australian skipper praised India’s growing consistency, even as history tilts heavily in her team’s favour: India have beaten Australia just once in 10 ODIs over the past five years, and their last home win in the format came way back in 2007. Yet, Healy believes the Indians are entering the World Cup on home soil in their strongest shape to date.
For Healy, the Indian side’s evolution is unmistakable. “It feels like to me in the women’s game, India’s been a bit of a sleeping giant for a long period of time and probably haven’t had the stability that I think they do right now,” she remarked. “They’re a really dangerous side, and I think they’re fully aware of that and what they can do to other teams. We watched them go to England and play some really good cricket and challenge a really good side.”
That recent success has indeed been telling. India have lost just two of their 11 ODIs this year and notched a 2-1 away triumph against England. For Healy, such results underline that the team has finally built a sustained structure, much-needed ahead of a home World Cup.
Healy did not hold back in lauding India’s continuity. “This is the most stable Indian team I’ve seen, and I think they’re in a really good place heading into this World Cup,” she said, noting how the sides’ rivalry has deepened in recent years. With the home crowd behind them, she views India not as underdogs but as genuine contenders: “I know how much they love beating Australia, and I know how good they are in their home conditions. It’s going to be a really enjoyable, hard-fought series.”
Her acknowledgement comes at a pivotal time. India, captained by Harmanpreet Kaur, will open the World Cup against Sri Lanka on September 30 in Guwahati, while Healy’s Australia begin their title defence against New Zealand in Indore on October 1. Given Australia’s unmatched dominance across formats in the past decade, Healy’s admission of India’s rise signals how seriously the champions are taking this challenge.
Australia, however, brings their own strengths to India. Despite not playing an ODI since January, Healy remained upbeat about her squad’s depth. “India are probably red-hot favourites in their own conditions coming into a World Cup, but I feel like the squad of 15 players we’ve got to contribute in this series is really well-placed,” she explained.
While hinting at player rotation, especially with Sophie Molineux out injured, Healy stressed that experimentation would not compromise the competitive edge: “Playing for Australia at any moment in time is an important feature; we’ll be playing our best XI we can, but it’s also a good opportunity to try a few different things.”
For years, Australia’s superiority has overshadowed India in ODIs, but Healy’s words reflect respect for a side that has matured quickly. In her eyes, India’s belief makes them a formidable adversary. And with both captains acknowledging the intensity of this growing rivalry, the ongoing three-match ODI series is set to serve both as a dress rehearsal and a psychological battleground before the World Cup.
With India 1-0 down in the series, the back is against the wall to get the combinations right and the roles clear ahead of the 13th edition of the ICC Women’s ODI World Cup 2025.
(Quotes sourced from ESPN Cricinfo)
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