Australian skipper Alyssa Healy scripted a dream farewell to ODI cricket on March 1, 2026, at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval, smashing a record 158 off 98 balls, her highest on home soil, in the third ODI against India during the ongoing multi-format series.
Opening with Phoebe Litchfield, Healy’s knock, featured 27 boundaries and two sixes, propelled Australia to a massive total of 409/7 in their quota of 50 overs, securing a 185-run victory and a 3-0 ODI whitewash. Awarded Player of the Match, her innings now stands as Australia’s highest individual ODI score at home and against India.
Healy’s belligerent century came from 79 balls, accelerating to add 49* off the next 16, pushing through cramps before falling to a bizarre full toss from Sneh Rana. It ranks as her second-highest ODI score behind 170 in the 2022 World Cup final, surpassed only by Belinda Clark’s 229* among Australians. “I (started to) cramp at about 85, but then there was a little bit of party time,” Healy revealed post-match, crediting Beth Mooney for urging her to reach the milestone first.
In a light-hearted twist, Healy grabbed the ball for her first international over with India seven down, sending down two overs for 0-12 without a wicket. “The first one got stuck in my hand. I’ve never had a bowl in international cricket, so why not tonight?,” she laughed, embracing the fun in her farewell.
India had snatched the T20I leg 2-1 after a see-saw battle, winning the first by 21 runs (DLS), losing the second by 19, and clinching the third by 17. But Australia dominated ODIs: wins by 6 wickets, 5 wickets, and 185 runs, giving them an 8-4 multi-format lead ahead of the pink-ball Test at WACA, Perth (worth 4 points). Healy praised her team’s bounce-back, “I’m super proud of the group, we’ve retained the trophy with the Test match to play.”
Skipper Alyssa Healy exits ODIs with 3,777 runs at a strike rate of 100.69, the only Australian with a strike rate of above 100, eight centuries, tying Karen Rolton, behind only Meg Lanning’s 15. Her Baroda ton against India in 2018 ignited a purple patch, transforming her from 1,686 runs at 18.94 to elite status. Honoured with a guard of honour by Harmanpreet Kaur’s side, Healy noted the mutual respect amid rivalry, “There’s a great amount of respect, I think, between both teams.”
Skipper Alyssa Healy signed off from the ODI format, ending as the leading run-scorer of her swansong series with 214 runs at a strike rate of 120.22 and an average of 71.33 in three innings, including a half-century and a century in three matches with the bat, leading from the front for her side in the series.
Eyes now turn to Healy’s final outing in the Perth Test, where she eyes topping her Test-best 99, shared with husband Mitchell Starc. “I’m really looking forward to that, to do it at the WACA as well, a pretty iconic ground,” she said, reflecting on a career of milestones. “I just think what a ridiculous sport we play that it can kick you down so many times and then give you opportunities like it has today.”
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