Australia chased down 331 runs with three wickets to spare against India in the 2025 World Cup on Sunday, scripting the highest successful chase in the history of women’s ODIs. Alyssa Healy’s team broke the record of Sri Lanka’s 302-run chase against South Africa in Potchefstroom in 2024. This means again, four of the top-five successful chases in ODIs are held by the Australians — which tells you all about their skill and mentality.
Anything over 300 had never been chased before in Women’s World Cups, with the best one so far being the same team’s 280/4 against the same opponent in Auckland in the 2022 edition. Still, India didn’t seem confident when big fifties from openers Pratika Rawal and Smriti Mandhana, plus good cameos from the rest of
the middle and lower orders, got them to the huge score.
Australia started confidently, with Healy and Phoebe Litchfield putting up 85 runs for the first wicket. Ellyse Perry came and got retired hurt after hitting 30-odd runs, Beth Mooney came and got out on her eighth ball, and Annabel Sutherland was bowled by Shree Charani to reduce Australia to 170/3.
But Healy went on, smashing 142 off 107 balls, making sure Australia wouldn’t have to worry about the required run-rate. Charani made her her third victim in the 39th over and India found the last glimmer of home when Deepti Sharma and Amanjot Kaur took three more in quick succession.
But Perry came back like a cheat code and saw Australia through in the penultimate over.
“Really proud of the group to pull ourselves over the line there,” Healy said afterwards. “I think I was a little bit tired at the back end, but like I said, I kept preaching about the depth that we’ve got in our line-up and the fact that we can chase down 330, but full credit to our bowlers as well for pulling that back in at the back end. I think we could have been chasing 360 plus, so good job all around, and we’ll take the two points.”
“Obviously proud, personally, to be able to do that. I was trying to lock in for a big day. I know there was a bit of pressure on my top order, but to be out there and contribute heavily was great. Would have liked to be out there a little bit longer and sort of see it home, but the girls got the job done, which is good,” she added.
