Alyssa Healy has vowed to soak up every last moment as she prepares for her final match
While excitement and gratitude are the overbearing emotions as Alyssa Healy prepares to lead Australia out on the field one final time, the retiring captain has unfinished business to tackle in Perth.
Australia have ensured they will at the very least retain the multi-format series trophy after taking an 8-4 lead over India with a clean sweep in the ODIs, but Healy has made her side’s intention to finish with an outright win in the Test match at the WACA Ground clear.
Healy’s final walk out for the toss will be in her Baggy Green and matching captain’s blazer, and she has vowed to relish every moment of her last outing.
“I’ve been very aware that not everybody gets to retire on their own terms, and this is kind of just a really cool opportunity to finish here at home and in a Baggy Green,” Healy told reports in Perth on Thursday.
“It’s not something I would have chosen to have done, but I guess to have that opportunity is very special, very unique.
“So looking forward to that, and obviously with the series, the way it’s placed at the moment, to be able to push for a win and be extra special.”
After a fairytale finish to her run in her favourite 50-over format with a rollicking 158 in the final ODI in Hobart on Sunday, the 35-year-old also has one final opportunity to chase down an elusive hundred in the whites.
She is back at the venue where she fell just a run short of the milestone two years back against South Africa but Healy downplayed any questions on the subject, insisting the fixture would be less about her and more about the result.
“I’m not going out there to make a duck,” she said. “So, if three figures come up, then so be it.”
“But at the end of the day, I just want to contribute to a team success, and what that looks like, we’ll wait and see.”
Healy has also declared her readiness to hit the couch after the Test and shrugged aside suggestions of any underlying sadness as her time as a professional cricketer comes to an end.
But she revealed the juxtaposition of debutant Lucy Hamilton’s cap presentation, which she was tasked with, and her final game in green and gold made it difficult for her to evade the emotions.
“It kind of reaffirmed to me that it’s hard work getting your cap and debuting for Australia,” Healy said, “and probably how lucky I’ve been for 16 years to have been able to have done that and probably taken it for granted at times.”
“So writing somebody else’s speech was a nice little moment to check in with myself and go, ‘this is really special and go out and enjoy it’.
“I genuinely don’t think there’ll be any sadness, and that’s not anything to do with cricket.
“I’m just really excited for life after cricket, and I’m really grateful for the experience that I’ve had so far. I’ve really enjoyed the last 20 years of cricket, and we’ll wait and see what unfolds next, which is more exciting.”
For the next four days, however, the focus is firmly on giving her best to the Australian cause and win the trophy outright.
“(I’m) feeling in good nick so hopefully I can transfer that to the pink ball here,” Healy said.
“But like I said, the series has been toughly contested so far, and to be up 8-4, I think at this point in time, we’re really pleased, and hopefully we go out there and get the job done.”
NRMA Insurance Australia v India Multi-Format Series
Australia lead the multi-format series 8-4
February 15: First T20: India won by 21 runs (DLS)
February 19: Second T20: Australia won by 19 runs
February 21: Third T20: India won by 17 runs
February 24: First ODI: Australia won by six wickets
February 27: Second ODI: Australia won by five wickets
March 1: Third ODI: Australia won by 185 runs
Australia Test squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Lucy Hamilton, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Tahlia McGrath, Ellyse Perry, Annabel Sutherland, Rachel Trenaman, Georgia Voll, Georgia Wareham
India Test squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh, Deepti Sharma, Kashvee Gautam, Sneh Rana, Amanjot Kaur, Uma Chetry, Pratika Rawal, Harleen Deol, Kranti Gaud, Vaishnavi Sharma, Sayali Satghare
March 6-9: Test match, WACA Ground, 4:20pm AEDT (D/N)
