The 13th match of the ongoing Women’s World Cup 2025 saw Australia achieve the highest successful run chase in the history of One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in Women’s cricket.
Defending champions successfully chased down a 331-run target against India and secured a thrilling 7-wicket victory with an over to spare.
The half-centuries from the Indian openers Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana got overshadowed by Alyssa Healy’s 142-run knock at the ACA-VDCA stadium in Visakhapatnam.
Fans erupted on social media with numerous comments as the Aussie skipper’s 6th ODI ton single-handedly guided her team to glory in Vizag.
A Solid Start from Mandhana and Rawal for Team India
Having been invited to bat first, the 155-run opening stand between Smriti Mandhana and Pratika Rawal gave a blistering start to India’s innings.
Madhana continued with her peak form, scoring 80 runs out of 66 balls at a strike rate of 121.21 (includes 9 fours and 3 sixes). Meanwhile, Rawal, on the other hand, supported her vice-captain by playing a composed 75-run knock out of 96 balls (including 10 fours and 1 six).
Harleen Deol’s 38 runs from 42 balls (including 3 fours and 1 six) provided the required stability in the middle overs.
Although India lost wickets at frequent intervals in the death overs, which concluded their innings with 7 balls to spare, a 330 total was competitive enough to defend.
However, breaching a 300-run mark was only possible due to the powerful cameos of these two batters:
- Jemimah Rodrigues: 33 runs out of 21 Balls (including 21 fours) at a strike rate of 157.14.
- Richa Ghosh: 32 Runs out of 22 Balls (including 3 fours and 2 sixes) at a strike rate of 145.45.
Alyssa Healy’s Elegant Century Guides Australia to a Rocking Win
The Aussies had a decent start to their 331-run chase. Phoebe Litchfield’s 39-ball-40 runs (including 6 fours and 1 six) built an 85-run opening partnership with her skipper before getting trapped to Sneh Rana’s fine catch.
However, Alyssa Healy continued her assault against the Indian bowlers by scoring her century in just 90 balls. She accelerated her innings and scored 142 runs out of 107 balls (including 21 fours and 3 sixes).
Ellyse Perry, who batted at No.3, provided a crucial stability to the batting order, scoring 47 runs out of 52 balls (including 5 fours and 1 six). But India was able to seize the opportunity soon after Perry’s muscle cramps forced her to retire hurt.
Through Deepti Sharma and Shree Charani, India was able to grab two wickets in quick succession, dismissing Beth Mooney (4 runs) and Annabel Sutherland (0) before making any big impact.
Moreover, a stunning catch from Shree Charani concluded Healy’s innings at 142 to shift the momentum highly in India’s favor.
But Ashleigh Gardner’s steadfast knock of 45 runs off 46 deliveries (including 3 fours and 1 six) highlighted her composure during high-pressure moments. Additionally, Sophie Molineux (18 runs) and Kim Garth (14* Runs) showed high stability as tailenders and ensured Australia accomplished the winning target in 49 overs.
Australia Women Break Their Own Previous Record in World Cup
A successful 331-run chase not only surpassed Sri Lanka’s previous record of 302 against South Africa, but also saw the Aussies overtake their own record of 278 run chase against India back in the 2022 World Cup edition.
An aggregate of 661 runs was scored in a single match, thereby making the most thrilling contest ever in the history of women’s ODI cricket.
Also, this clash witnessed 13 sixes smashed together by both teams, which is indeed the highest aggregate ever in a single match of the women’s World Cup.
Fans’ Reaction to Alyssa Healy’s Match-Winning Century vs India
As Alyssa Healy deserved the player of the match award for her game-changing performance, the netizens reacted on social media by comparing the Aussie skipper to Travis Head and Ricky Ponting.
Numerous comments continue to flood social media. Out of which, the most popular reactions from hardcore fans that have grabbed the attention of the cricketing world have been listed below:
- A Female Version of Travis Head is Back! Well-deserved Player of the Match Award Earned!
- Hard-fought game by the Indians. Tried Their Level Best By Pulling the Game Till the Penultimate Over! Better Luck Next Time and Aim to Bounce Back in the Upcoming Match!
- Reminiscent of Ricky Ponting’s World Cup 2003 Final Knock vs India!
- A Mix of Travis Head and Ricky Ponting’s Spirit Shown by Alyssa Healy!
- Wasn’t in Her Best Form! Still Contributed Her Best When Healy’s Team Needed Her The Most!
- Best Captain’s Knock and Masterclass Performance in Women’s Cricket!
- And So On…
Conclusion
Alyssa Healy started the Women’s World Cup 2025 on a poor note, having scored 19 and 20 against New Zealand and Pakistan. However, she returned to her best form with a record-breaking 142-run knock, thereby proving to the world that the Aussies are an impossible side to defeat.
With this win, the Aussies rank as the table toppers with 7 points and +1.353 net-run rate (NRR). While Australia and England are currently the undefeated sides of the tournament, Team India’s chances to qualify for the subsequent rounds are now in jeopardy because of back-to-back defeats.
Having secured 4 points and +0.682 NRR, India’s path to the semi-finals becomes tougher. So, Harmanpreet Kaur and her team currently rank in the third spot in the points table.
A victory in their remaining three matches against England, New Zealand, and Bangladesh will be crucial to determine the women-in-blue’s fate to progress into the knockouts.