Kamal Ghorui
Alyssa Healy ended her ODI career with a century as Australia completed a 3-0 sweep over India, defeating the world champions by 185 runs in the third and final match on Sunday.Asked to bat, Australia posted 409 for seven, built around Healy’s 158 and an unbeaten 106 from Beth Mooney. India, chasing 410, were bowled out for 224 in 45.1 overs.
The 35-year-old Healy, playing her 126th ODI, hit 27 fours and two sixes in her 98-ball knock. It was her eighth ODI hundred. She will retire from international cricket after the one-off pink-ball Test against India in Perth from March 6. Across 126 ODIs, she has scored 3,777 runs with eight centuries and 19 fifties.Australia lost Phoebe Litchfield (14) early, but Healy and Georgia Voll (62 off 52) added 134 for the second wicket. Healy then shared a 145-run stand with Mooney for the third wicket to set up the total. Voll struck seven fours and a six, while Mooney’s innings included 10 boundaries and one six. Annabel Sutherland (23) and Nicola Carey (34 off 15) added runs in the closing overs.For India, Sneh Rana (2/66) and Shree Charani (2/106) took two wickets each. Charani became only the third bowler to concede more than 100 runs in an ODI.India’s chase never gathered pace. Smriti Mandhana fell in the second over. Pratika Rawal (27 off 21) and Jemimah Rodrigues (42 off 29) added 54 for the second wicket before Rawal was dismissed in the eighth over, given out in front to Annabel Sutherland.Rodrigues, who hit nine boundaries, was caught at short fine-leg by Hamilton off Ashleigh Gardner while attempting a sweep. Harleen Deol (14) also fell without a major score. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur made 25 off 33 balls before being trapped LBW by Alana King. Richa Ghosh (18) and Kashvee Gautam were dismissed as the required rate climbed.Deepti Sharma (29 off 47) and Rana added 63 for the eighth wicket, but the effort came too late. Deepti was dismissed LBW by King in the 40th over. Rana, who had earlier returned figures of 2/66, scored 44 off 74 balls.India had lost the first two ODIs by six and five wickets. They had won the preceding three-match T20 series 2-1.Australia now lead the multi-format series 8-4 on points. Each T20 and ODI win carries two points, while a Test victory is worth four.
