Pratika Rawal’s fighting fifty forces Australia to bat again, but Georgia Voll and Phoebe Litchfield quickly chase down 25 to seal the Test inside three days at the WACA.

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

Australia delivered a dominant performance to defeat India by ten wickets in the one-off day-night Test at the WACA Ground in Perth, giving retiring captain Alyssa Healy a memorable farewell. The emphatic victory ensured Australia sealed the multi-format series 12–4 on points and marked their first Test win over India since 2006.

Although Healy did not get the opportunity to bat in the final innings of her international career, she led her team off the field to a standing ovation as Australia completed a comfortable chase of just 25 runs. Openers Georgia Voll and Phoebe Litchfield made light work of the target, finishing the game in just over two days of play.

India’s resistance in the second innings came mainly from debutant Pratika Rawal, who scored a composed 63 off 137 balls. Her determined knock briefly forced Australia to bat again, but India could only manage a slender 24-run lead before being bowled out.

Spin duo Alana King and Ashleigh Gardner wrapped up the final four wickets on the third morning after seam bowlers dominated the opening two days on a grassy WACA surface. King’s sharp turn troubled the Indian batters, while Gardner provided key breakthroughs to finish the innings quickly.

The star performer of the match was all-rounder Annabel Sutherland, who delivered a remarkable display with both bat and ball. She scored an impressive 129 in Australia’s first innings and finished with match figures of 6 for 61 from 23 overs, playing a crucial role in the hosts’ comprehensive victory.

Australia’s triumph also marked a strong comeback after a 2–1 defeat in the T20I series earlier in the tour, which had been a challenging start to Sophie Molineux’s captaincy tenure. The team responded emphatically by sweeping the ODI series 3–0 and finishing the tour with a convincing Test win over the reigning world champions.

Despite the loss, India had encouraging contributions from several debutants. Along with Rawal’s half-century, Sayali Satghare impressed with four wickets in Australia’s first innings, while Kranti Gaud and Kashvee Gautam showed promise. However, the defeat ended India’s nine-match unbeaten run in Test cricket that dated back to February 2006.

India resumed the third day at 105 for 6, still needing 20 runs to make Australia bat again. Rawal and Sneh Rana attempted to delay the inevitable, but Gardner eventually bowled Rana after a shaky stay at the crease. King then removed Gautam for a duck before Rawal’s resistance finally ended.

The match also marked the official reopening of the historic WACA Ground in Perth following its redevelopment. Fans enjoyed the upgraded facilities, including a terrace pool and waterslides, with crowds of around 3,500 attending each of the first two days at the 10,000-capacity venue.

As the celebrations unfolded, teammates lifted Healy onto their shoulders in an emotional tribute, bringing the curtain down on one of the most successful careers in women’s cricket with a fitting and dominant Australian victory.