Australia's Healy lights up Hobart in ODI farewell

Alyssa Healy delivered a farewell for the ages, producing a breathtaking 158 off 98 balls in her final ODI as Australia piled on 409 for 7 and thrashed India by 185 runs in the third ODI of the three-match series Hobart on Sunday. 

Playing her 126th, the 35-year-old was given a guard of honour before the match at Bellerive Oval. She responded with a vintage display -- 27 fours and two sixes, 120 runs in boundaries, the highest proportion in that manner by an Australian player in WODIs -- to cap a glittering career in fairytale fashion. 

Battling a calf issue she joked was down to “getting old”, Healy reached her eighth ODI century off just 79 balls, the joint second-most by an Australian woman cricketer. Her 150 came off 95 balls, the second fastest in women’s ODIs, making her just the sixth woman -- and second Australian -- to register two 150-plus scores in the format.  

The knock was the highest women’s ODI score in Australia and the highest anywhere against India. She also joined South Africa’s Johmari Logtenberg as the only women to score a century in their final ODI. 

Healy shared a 145-run stand with Beth Mooney, who struck an unbeaten 106 off 84 balls -- her sixth ODI ton, reached in 82 deliveries -- as Australia posted their second-highest total in the format. India were bowled out for 224 in 45.1 overs.
 

With the ODI leg swept 3-0, Australia bounced back after losing the three-match T20I series 2-1. The teams now head into the one-off Test in Perth, which is set to be Healy's final international match for Australia,

As the match drifted towards its inevitable conclusion, Healy even rolled her arm over for the first time in her 298-game international career, conceding 12 runs from two overs -- one final flourish in yellow. 

“I just think what a ridiculous sport we play that it can kick you down so many times and then give you opportunities like it has today,” Healy said afterwards. “I’ve hated every milestone match, so today was just an opportunity to go out and enjoy it… thanks to the cricket gods for that. That’s a nice way to sign off in the yellow.”