Australia Women vs India Women, Only Test, India Women tour of Australia, 2026 - Commentary

So, that's it from our side. Australia had a brilliant run to seal the multi-format series 12-4. Alyssa Healy, a true legend of the game, bows out on a high from international cricket! Healy couldn't have asked anything more from her teammates who performed superbly throughout the series to give her the perfect farewell. It has been an illustrious cricketing career for Healy and she has given her fans beautiful memories over the years that are worth remembering for a lifetime! On that note, we bid you adieu! Until next time, goodbye and cheers!

Time for the glory moment! Alyssa Healy has been presented the trophy. She poses for photographs along with her teammates behind the winner's hoarding.

Alyssa Healy | Australia captain: Really pleased with that effort. Bouncing back from the T20 series, I sense that coming into the group there was a bit of disappointment and a little bit of uncertainty. But I guess the way that they responded and came out and played in the last four fixtures has been unbelievable and I'm really proud and great time be with each other. Well, I just walked in the change room before and Lucy Hamilton said, Test cricket, I think, it's my new favourite format. So, it's great to see these young kids get an opportunity to showcase their skills over a longer period of time. I think the white ball doesn't really give us that opportunity to do that and the opportunity for them, you know, to set up batters or to set up an innings and learn how to play the furious form of the game, I think is really important. So, long live Test cricket and hopefully we can see more. (On her feelings right now) Honestly, it hit me just before that they get to come into that change room again and to be around the girls but I'm going to enjoy the next little bit and sing the team song one last time. But I'm genuinely really excited to watch this group of amazing people moving forward, led by, Sophie Molineux. I think they're going to achieve some great things. And, I might turn into that really bitter ex-player and tell them how to do stuff. I'm just kidding. (On whether she has felt the love and support here at The WACA and back home as well) I really have and I guess on a personal note, thank you very much to everyone for that love and support. I was through the thick of it, representing your country and competing at the highest level, you're sort of in this little bubble and you just want to win games and compete and you probably don't really realise what's going on outside. So, I guess to feel that for the first time and to have sort of enjoyed that over the last week has been amazing. So thank you very much to everyone who came this week and everyone at home as well. (On whether she thought about opening in the second innings?) No, I gotta protect my average of 20 (laughs). I think we're watching the future of Australian cricket walk out there, and mark centre and open (Litchfield and Voll), and I didn't want to get in the way of that. I've had my time in the sun, so it's time for the next generation to showcase what they can do. Thanks to the Indian team, I think, in what is a really hectic schedule in the women's game at the moment. It's ever-changing for these girls to come across here after a really busy WPL, to get up to the fight in the T20 series and give us everything and to be here for a five-week period is a huge effort, so thank you to you guys and all the very best for the World Cup in the middle of the year. I know you'll give it a red-hot shake in the UK, so we'll wait. Hopefully Australia and India in the final will be a nice touch, but thank you to you guys for your efforts. Thanks to everyone involved in the series. It's been great fun. I've thoroughly enjoyed it. And thanks to this group of amazing people for making the last few weeks incredibly special for me. It's completely unnecessary, but in saying that, I've got so many great memories, not just on the field, but off the field with these amazing people, and I look forward to creating some more over the next few days.

Harmanpreet Kaur | India captain: (On this series being a competitive one) We started really well, playing really good cricket in T20s and unfortunately after that we weren't able to continue, but I think, it was a good series overall. Really happy playing in Australia all the time and I think it was a great fight. (On how much they enjoyed playing in this multi-format series?) It was great fun and hopefully in future also we'll keep getting these kind of tournaments because this gives you a lot of confidence and I think Test cricket is something which we all really want to play and pink-ball was something which was very challenging and hopefully in the future also we will get these kind of challenges. I think our staff and everyone has been really great. They have given us a lot of support in the entire time in our career and hopefully they'll keep giving us support. And thank you to all the Indian fans and the cricket fans who came here to watch us. I know today was not a great day for us, but I'm sure in future we'll make them proud and hopefully, we will play good cricket in the future.

Annabel Sutherland | Player of the Match & Player of the Series: (On her feelings on having scored her fourth Test century and three in succession) It's pretty special. Nice to be here at the end of Day 3 with a win and most importantly, sending Midgey (Alyssa Healy) off on a good note. (On her superb numbers over the last three week and having being effective in every form of the game) I mean, I love competing. I love being out there. I think coming up against India, they really put up to us, particularly in the T20 series, and we were able to bounce back in the One-Day and again in the Test match so it's a privilege to put on these colours and do the job for the team. (On playing Test cricket) I'll take as many as we can get. They're few and far between, but it's definitely nice to really make those moments count in the middle.

Alana King: (On bowling really well today) No cramps today so happy to play my part. Nice turn and bounce here at The WACA which is why I love bowling here. So I'm happy to get the job done and send Midge off in style. (On what has Healy meant to this Australian group and to her personally) She's been an incredible, I guess, pillar for this team with the way she's taken over the captaincy a few years ago and made it her own. I think she's put her own stamp on how she wants to captain her team. And, this is not her captaincy legacy, it's her whole cricketing legacy that she's done for Australian cricket. And it's great to have her whole family here to get a win in her last series as well. No doubt, Midgey will be celebrating well tonight. (Her favourite memory of Alyssa Healy playing in the green and gold) There's been a few, but I think what's been spoken about the most is probably the ODI World Cup in 2022 in New Zealand, that final against England. I think that was incredible the way she played with the freedom and the class that she played. It was absolutely incredible to watch and to be a part of. And she rewound the clock last week when she did it in the ODIs down at Hobart. But there are only a few on-field memories but there's plenty of off-field memories that I have with me, so hopefully they continue, especially in the golf course with a beer in hand as well. She's going to be greatly missed, but we'll be celebrating well with her tonight.

India were found wanting with the bat on both occasions and that took a toll on them. They were decent with the ball and put Australia under pressure at times. But the visitors didn't put enough runs on the board and that cost them. Pratika Rawal on debut showed fight and grit in India's second essay with the bat but the rest of the batting lineup couldn't cope up against the moving pink ball under lights. Sutherland had a great Test match - her century enabled Australia to take a substantial 125-run lead and she picked up important wickets in both innings. Kudos to the debutant, Lucy Hamilton, as well as she announced herself on the big stage by picking up six wickets in the game. Chasing 25 for a victory was a mere formality and Australia stormed to a 10-wicket victory with consummate ease.

15:01 Local Time, 07:01 GMT, 12:31 IST: The camera pans towards Healy and she has a smile on her face! She hugs her teammates and support staff near the dugout. Healy has bowed out from international cricket on a high! It's a perfect farewell for one of Australian cricket's finest! Healy walks out onto the field to shake hands with the players from both sides. Perry and Gardner lift Healy up on their shoulders and pay their tribute to her. Coming back to the game, it was a dominant performance from Australia. They were switched on throughout and never missed an opportunity to push India on the back foot.

Some of the Australian players are walking down from the dressing room towards the dugout