The crowd in Navi Mumbai watched an Australian side that suddenly looked fragile. Under the fading lights of the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 semi-final, Alyssa Healy stood behind the stumps, calm yet unusually subdued. Her usual spark as captain and keeper seemed dimmed, and that quietness reflected the tension rising within her team.
Australia scored a strong 338, with Phoebe Litchfield’s graceful 119, Ellyse Perry’s solid 77, and Ashleigh Gardner’s fluent 63 leading the way. On most days, that total looked enough to seal another final, but not this one.
India, hungry and fearless, tore into the chase. Jemimah Rodrigues played an innings that people will remember for years, scoring an unbeaten 127 that drove the run chase. Harmanpreet Kaur matched her captaincy with a controlled 89, steering India through tense moments. Their 167-run stand left the Australian bowlers short of answers.
As Richa Ghosh and Amanjot Kaur added crucial runs, Healy’s face told the story. With every boundary India hit, the Australian skipper lost more grip on the game, and when Rodrigues struck the winning runs, silence surrounded Healy. Later, she quietly hinted that her ODI World Cup journey had ended, saying she would not be there in 2029. Though she didn’t make a formal announcement, her words sounded final.
The farewell that felt inevitable
Healy’s remark after the match carried a weight that few could miss. It wasn’t a cry of defeat; it felt like acceptance. After years of dominance, Australia finally looked human, and their captain carried that truth with calm dignity. Her missed chances and keeping errors showed more than tiredness; they revealed the strain of leading a side for so long. As India celebrated, Healy seemed to realise that her time in this format was ending.
She has been the heartbeat of Australian women’s cricket, mixing aggression with calm, flair with steadiness. However, every era needs renewal, and Healy appeared to know that. The 2025 semi-final might not have been the ending she wished for, but it was the one her story needed; gritty, emotional, and human. As she walked off the field, it felt clear that Australia’s next generation now carries the torch, while Healy, with quiet grace, prepares to set it down.
