Beth Mooney is stepping up as Australia’s full-time wicketkeeper-batter in Alyssa Healy’s swansong multi-format series against India, relishing the consistency of the gloves while honouring her skipper’s legendary career. With Healy retiring from all forms of cricket after this home series, from February 15 to March 9, 2026, the pink-ball Test at W.A.C.A. in Perth offers a poignant finale.
Australia holds the 8-4 lead in the multi-format series. India clinched the T20I series 2-1 (winning the rain-shortened opener by 21 runs via DLS, losing the second by 19 runs, and sealing the third by 17 runs), only to suffer a 3-0 ODI whitewash (losses by 6 wickets, 5 wickets, and 185 runs). A Test win, worth four points, would level the series for the visitors.
Mooney, 32, welcomes the challenge of full-time keeping, a shift from her backup role over the past decade, where Australia’s depth allowed her to thrive as one of the world’s top batters. She’s worn the gloves throughout this series, including the T20Is and ODIs, building on her Ashes stint at the MCG last summer when she relieved an injured Healy. “It’s been a lot of fun, I’ve really enjoyed it, and the consistency of doing it a little bit more frequently,” Mooney said at Perth Airport on Monday. Now settled in her adopted home ground, she’s eager for the WACA’s pace and bounce, eyeing how the pink ball behaves in Test conditions.
The transition hasn’t been without debate. Healy has been Australia’s first-choice keeper since 2014, but selector Shawn Flegler defended the call during the first ODI in Brisbane, citing Mooney’s strong form over the past 12-18 months. “(It was) extremely tough; Midge has had an unbelievable career, and we’re trying to be really respectful of that but also look at what the team requires in the medium-to-long term as well,” Flegler told Channel Seven. Mooney echoed the respect, hinting at a heartfelt gesture: “Midge hasn’t done a whole lot of keeping since Big Bash, so it’s looking like I’ll probably take the gloves, but maybe I’ll throw them to her at the back end of the last session and let her finish like that.”
Managing the workload is key for Mooney, who anticipates tweaks to her training and recovery, no longer just fielding, but diving around full-time behind the stumps. “Moving forward, (I’m) really excited to take on that (full-time) role, and I’ll probably have to manage my body a little differently to what I (did when) running around the field,” she noted. The post-Healy era poses questions for selectors on squad balance, but Mooney’s poise positions her perfectly.
Australia arrived in Perth on Monday, with a rest day before Test prep resumes March 4 evening.
Mooney shrugged off the tight schedule from ODIs to Test, a staple of multi-format battles. “We’re used to this tight schedule; we’ve done it in the past few multi-format series,” she said. “(Going from) 50-over (cricket) into a Test match is pretty good. I’m looking forward to the pace and bounce of the WACA. I think that’ll be a lot of fun and a really good challenge. The conditions at the W.A.C.A. will suit us really nicely. We’ve got the pace and bounce of Darcie Brown, maybe a debutant in Lucy Hamilton as well, and a couple of new faces too.”
As skipper Alyssa Healy bows out, Mooney’s emergence signals a seamless handover of the wicket-keeping duties, blending nostalgia with Australia’s relentless evolution in women’s cricket.
(Quotes sourced from cricket.com.au)
Loves all things female cricket