Australia’s ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup semi-final preparation has received a significant boost as captain Alyssa Healy shows promising signs of recovery from a calf injury. Healy suffered the injury before the match against England, causing her to miss the team’s last two league-stage games. However, during a recent training session in Mumbai, Healy displayed good form by passing a fitness test, participating in wicketkeeping drills, and engaging in a full net session where she showed confidence and skill in her batting against the bowlers.
After Australia’s victory over South Africa, head coach Shelley Nitschke expressed optimism about Healy’s potential return for the upcoming knockout match. Healy has been in exceptional form throughout the tournament, scoring 294 runs in just four innings at an average of 98 and a strike rate of 131.25. Her standout performance was against India, the team they will face in the semi-finals, where she scored 142 runs off 98 balls, including 21 fours and three sixes.
In Healy’s absence, Tahlia McGrath led the team in the last two matches. Still, Healy’s expected comeback will be a significant boost for the defending champions as they prepare for the crucial semi-final match in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.