LISA STHALEKAR: Healy’s heroics and Perry’s return power Australia to epic World Cup win over India

It took a monster century from the skipper and the game’s best player overcoming injury, but Australia showed why they are the defending World Cup champions with a thrilling win over India.

Posting their highest World Cup score (330) and being the first team to post more than 300 runs against Australia should have been enough for the home side to achieve an upset win — except it wasn’t.

Alyssa Healy would have been ruing her decision to send the Indians into bat as both their openers notched half-centuries and they raced to 1-192 with 20 overs to go.

Most bowlers would have thrown in the towel and looked to the batters to save the day but Australia’s bowling group stuck to their guns and picked up 6-36 to restrict India to what could have been a score above 350 runs.

Annabel Sutherland’s first five wicket haul (5-40) could not have come at a better time.

Needing to make a record ODI run chase, Healy led by example, ably supported by Phoebe Litchfield (40 off 39). The openers got ahead of the required run rate within the first 10 overs, scoring 82 runs, which laid the platform but did not guarantee victory.

Despite losing Litchfield in the 12th over, both Ellyse Perry (47*) and Ashleigh Gardner (45) ensured that they kept the Australian team in the hunt.

For the second time since the Australians have landed in India, Perry had to retire hurt due to cramping or as she calls it “a siesta halfway through her innings”.

As wickets tumbled to some unbelievable fielding from India, all eyes were on the Aussie bench to see if Perry would re-emerge.

Little did we know that Kate Beerworth, the Australian physiotherapist, was working overtime to get her ready and even at one stage, Perry used the car park as a warm-up area to see if she could actually run between the wickets.

Healy eventually was dismissed for 142 (107), making it her first century as captain of the Australian side and her first since the last World Cup in 2022 against England in the final, where she made 170.

With 66 runs needed off the final 67 deliveries, Australia lost 3-38 as the local crowd found their voice again. Enter Perry who steered the backend of the chase expertly with Kim Garth to finish the game in style with a six hit straight down the ground and an over to spare.

This match was the first time the Australians have had to fight back with ball in hand. In previous matches it has been the Australian batting depth that has been insurmountable for their opposition.

Against New Zealand, the Aussies were 5-128 in the 22nd over, then a mature innings from Gardner (115 off 83), and an important cameo from Garth (38) ensured they made 326.

Then against Pakistan, in Colombo on a turning deck, the Australians were reduced to 7-76 again in the 22nd over. This time it was the ever-reliable Beth Mooney peeling off her fifth ODI century. She combined with Alana King for a ninth wicket stand of 106 runs, as King brought up her maiden half century in ODI cricket and Australia made 221. Pakistan could only muster 114 in reply.

The Australians have been pushed in all their matches so far and things won’t get any easier against Bangladesh, England and South Africa.

The Indians’ second loss on the trot has them sitting third, while Australia are a point clear of England in first place. The top four teams from the eight competing around advance to the semifinals.