In a fairytale ending to a glittering One-Day International (ODI) career, Australian captain Alyssa Healy produced a breathtaking knock of 158 runs off just 98 balls against India at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval on Sunday, with husband Mitchell Starc watching proudly from the commentary box as she walked off into ODI sunset in emphatic style. The 35-year-old wicketkeeper-batter’s farewell innings was nothing short of spectacular, featuring 27 fours and two sixes in a masterclass of aggressive strokeplay that left the Indian bowling attack haples.
Guard of honour precedes Alyssa Healy’s final ODI knock
The emotion was palpable even before Healy took strike. As she walked out to open the batting alongside Phoebe Litchfield in the third ODI, the Indian women’s team, led by captain Harmanpreet Kaur, formed a guard of honour to acknowledge the retiring great’s immense contribution to women’s cricket. The BCCI Women shared images of the tribute on social media, capturing the moment Harmanpreet shook hands with her long-time rival as Healy made her way to the crease.
#TeamIndia formed a guard of honour before the start of play today for Australia Captain Alyssa Healy, who is playing her Final ODI match 👏👏#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Vb9dg1dfhE
— BCCI Women (@BCCIWomen) March 1, 2026
The gesture represented the deep respect Healy commands across the cricketing world, having been one of the most influential figures in the sport’s growth over 16 years at the highest level.
Alyssa Healy races to 150 in just 95 balls
After reaching her century in just 79 balls, Healy accelerated further to bring up 150 off 95 deliveries, tormenting the Indian bowlers with her signature blend of power and precision. The Australian captain appeared destined for a double century before Sneh Rana finally ended her innings in the 37th over with a high full-toss that Healy missed while attempting a reverse sweep .
Her 158-run knock placed Australia in a commanding position at 3-281 when she departed, with a total of 400 or more appearing well within reach. The innings added to her career tally of 3,777 ODI runs at an average of 37.02, which includes eight centuries and 19 fifties across 126 matches.
Also WATCH: Alyssa Healy receives Guard of Honour from India players in her final ODI
Throughout her innings, Healy had a special spectator watching intently. Mitchell Starc, the Australian pace spearhead and Healy’s husband since 2016, was positioned in the Channel Seven commentary box. Cameras captured the moment Healy brought up her century, with Starc remaining silently emotional as the milestone was raised – a contrast to the thunderous applause from the Hobart crowd.
The couple’s cricketing journey together spans decades, having first met as nine-year-olds playing against each other in club cricket before becoming teammates in representative cricket from under-10s through under-16s . They tied the knot in April 2016, and Starc has been a constant presence supporting his wife throughout her career, famously leaving the Australian camp early in March 2020 to watch her Player of the Final performance in the T20 World Cup final against India.
Here’s the video:
An Alyssa Healy century in her final ODI!
And no one is prouder than Mitch Starc in the commentary box 😊#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/Ey27zCbPt2
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) March 1, 2026
Earlier in the series, Starc was spotted in the commentary box during the first ODI in Brisbane, donning stylish attire alongside former cricketer Lisa Sthalekar as Healy’s farewell series began. His presence throughout the ODI leg underscored the personal significance of this moment for cricket’s most admired power couple.
When Healy announced her retirement in January, Starc shared a photograph of her sitting on a lawn giving a thumbs-up, accompanying it with a short but deeply felt caption: “Proud of you.” In a subsequent Instagram tribute, he posted “Proud of ya” with a heart emoji, a message that resonated powerfully with fans worldwide .
Reflecting on his wife’s evolution as a player, Starc had earlier noted how she transformed after taking over the captaincy from Meg Lanning in late 2023. “She watches a lot more cricket than I do. I mean, she’s the captain too. She’s a bit more switched on with all that sort of thing, probably seeing her shift a little bit when she took over the captaincy and putting her personal stuff aside and trying to push that team to achieve all that potential.”
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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
