Australia’s star pacer Mitchell Starc shared an emotional message for his wife and Australian captain Alyssa Healy, who is set to retire from international cricket after leading her side one final time in the one-off pink-ball Test against India. The historic match began on Friday at the iconic WACA Ground and marks a significant moment in women’s cricket, as it is the venue’s first-ever day-night Women’s Test.
Ahead of the match, Starc paid tribute to Healy’s remarkable career, reflecting on the dedication and resilience that defined her 16-year journey in international cricket. The wicketkeeper-batter has been a central figure in Australia’s dominance across formats, combining aggressive batting with sharp leadership behind the stumps.
Speaking before the match, Healy admitted that the emotional weight of her final game only truly hit her while preparing a cap presentation speech for Australia’s young pacer Lucy Hamilton.
“I got a little emotional writing Lucy Hamilton’s cap presentation,” Alyssa Healy said. “It reaffirmed to me that it’s hard work getting your cap and debuting for Australia. How lucky I’ve been for 16 years to have done that. Probably taken it for granted at times, so writing somebody else’s speech was a nice little moment to check in with myself and go, ‘This is really special’.”
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Australia head into the Test with momentum, having already taken an 8–4 lead in the ongoing multi-format series. The hosts bounced back strongly after losing the T20I series 1–2 by completing a clean sweep in the ODIs. With four points available for a Test victory, India still have a chance to level the series with a win in Perth.
Today begins the final page of Alyssa Healy’s cricket career.
It’s been a hell of a journey.
Who better to narrate it all than Mitchell Starc 🙌 pic.twitter.com/oLqTB0pPRr
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) March 6, 2026
Despite the significance of the occasion, Healy remains focused on contributing to the team rather than chasing personal milestones.
“I’m not going out there to make a duck,” she joked. “If three figures come up, then so be it. At the end of the day, I just want to contribute to team success.”
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Looking ahead to her final appearance in the baggy green, Healy expressed gratitude and excitement for what lies ahead. “I’m just really excited for what’s going to be a cracking four days of cricket,” she said. “Not everyone gets to retire on their own terms. Doing it at home, in a baggy green, is a really cool opportunity.”
