Healy’s 142 powers Australia to record chase against India in Women’s World Cup thriller

Australia Women pulled off a record-breaking chase of 331 to defeat India Women by three wickets in a high-scoring ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 encounter at the ACA–VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

Led by Alyssa Healy’s commanding 142, Australia reached the target with six balls remaining to register the highest successful chase in Women’s ODI history.

India’s 330, built on solid innings from Smriti Mandhana (80) and Pratika Rawal (75), looked formidable after Mandhana brought up two milestones, crossing 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year, the first woman ever to do so, and surpassing 5,000 career ODI runs, becoming only the fifth player to reach the landmark.

However, India’s lower-order collapse, losing nine wickets for 138 runs in the last 30 overs, left them short of an even bigger total.

Annabel Sutherland spearheaded the fightback with an exceptional 5 for 40, ensuring India fell short of the 350 mark they had looked on course for.

Healy headlines historic chase

In reply, Healy’s 142 off 108 balls, featuring crisp drives and calculated aggression, anchored Australia’s innings.

She found support from Ash Gardner (45) and Ellyse Perry (47 not out), who overcame cramps to return and guide her side home in a tense finish. Perry and Kim Garth (14 not out) held their nerve in the final overs, adding a decisive 28-run stand.

The defeat marks India’s second consecutive loss in the tournament after falling to South Africa, while Australia’s third win in four games takes them to the top of the table midway through the group stage.