Healy not taking ‘stable’ India for granted ahead of CWC25
Australia skipper Alyssa Healy believes India can be a formidable opponent at home.
India and Australia are featuring in a three-game ODI series, the first game of which is being played at Mullanpur today, in the leadup to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
The series will give the two sides much needed playing time and help them acclimatise with the conditions.
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For Australia, who are playing their first ODI series since January 2025, there will be the added incentive of getting into the groove as a side, and reigniting the team bonds.
“[These are] two good teams in a pretty good place at the moment,” skipper Healy told reporters in a pre-series press conference. “It’s been a little while since we played cricket together as a group, but we are in a pretty good place to tackle this World Cup but also the ODI series.
The touring captain conceded that India were probably ahead given their familiarity with the conditions, but Australia had a group that could rise to meet the challenge.
“India are probably red-hot favourites in their conditions, going into a World Cup but I think the squad of 15 players that we’ve got to contribute in this series is really well-placed.”
Healy believed the hosts could pose a significant challenge, given their current run and their new-found stability.
“In the women’s game, India has been a sleeping giant for a long period of time. (They) haven’t had the stability (in the past) that they do right now. They are a really dangerous side, and I think they’re fully aware of that, and what they can do to other sides.”
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Healy gave the example of their recent double win (in ODI and T20I formats) in England, to highlight their excellent form.
“We watched them go to England, and play some really good cricket, and challenge a really good side. This is the most stable Indian team I’ve seen, and I think they’re in a really good place heading into this World Cup.”
The Australia skipper expected to see the India-Australia rivalry to achieve greater heights in the coming days.
“The rivalry continues to grow. I know how much they love beating Australia, and I know how good they are in their home conditions, so I think it will be a really good and hard fought series.”
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The series also marks Healy’s return to international cricket after an extended injury break.
Prior to this series, Healy had featured in a bilateral contest for Australia ‘A’ at home against India ‘A’, and impressed with her fitness and form during her comeback.
“Having the opportunity to play that series was huge. Getting through six games of cricket, in a short space of time, was a big tick for me. Coming back from injury so, really happy with how that progressed.”
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Healy hinted that the tourists might rotate players to keep everyone in good shape heading into the World Cup.
“We’ll be playing our best XI, but we’ll also be trying a few different things, and get some different combinations in place, looking ahead to the 4-5 weeks that are after this series. Experimentation might be a big word, but you can look forward to a bit of rotation.”
The three-game ODI series will take place on 14, 17 and 20 September. In the Women's Cricket World Cup that starts on 30 September, India and Australia will face-off on 12 October in Visakhapatnam.