Snehasis Mukherjee in Dubai
After the semi-final loss against South Africa on Thursday night at the Dubai International Stadium, Australia’s stand-in skipper, Tahlia McGrath, attended the post-match press conference. In the same room, Alyssa Healy stood in a corner, visibly devastated, waiting to speak with the press in the mixed zone. She had missed the India game and the semi-final after sustaining an acute foot injury during the Pakistan match. However, when the team arrived for the semi-final, Healy was seen entering the stadium without crutches or a moon boot, sparking speculation among fans about whether she would make the playing XI.
Ultimately, she did not play and watched from the sidelines as her team were knocked out of the tournament, losing to the Proteas women for the first time in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup history. Healy finished the tournament with 67 runs in three innings, averaging 33.50 with a strike-rate of 145.65. When asked how close she was to playing in the semi-final, she said: “It was a really hard decision to make to whether or not we were going to give a punt or not and try to make it. But ultimately, sat myself down instead of taking the risk. It was hard to watch knowing that you cannot really go out there and help.”
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She also confirmed that further assessments would be made when the team returned home, especially with the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) approaching. Healy praised South Africa, calling them a confident and improved side. “They are a team full of confidence and full of intent also,” she said. “They made it look like a completely different wicket. They have improved a lot and got a lot of different contributors probably for the first time in a little while. So, it has been pleasing to see that.”
When asked about the impact of this defeat, Healy was clear that she saw it as a one-off. “One bad night does not necessarily define us as a team,” she said. “We can probably have a look at what we can do and probably what went wrong tonight. I think maybe a little bit of lack of experience came into play, but that is what these tournaments are all about. Hopefully, we learn from that and bounce back.”
This loss ended Australia’s streak of 15 consecutive wins in the tournament. In 2024, South Africa have now beaten them twice in four T20Is. When asked if teams are stepping up and believing the Aussies are beatable, Healy was forthright. “Not so much like that, but the prospect of potentially a new winner of this tournament is hugely exciting for the world game, I think,” she said. “The investments, there are now opportunities to play cricket right around the world, different conditions, and that has done great things for the world game. If it turns out to be a New Zealand vs South Africa final, it is going to be really cool to see. A fresh winner of that trophy and it also shows how far the game has come, which is good.”
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