Women's Ashes 2025: Alyssa Healy picked for Day-Night Test as pure batter

Alyssa Healy has been picked as a specialist batter for the pink-ball Women's Ashes Test, scheduled to be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The aforementioned assertion was confirmed by Cricket Australia, while naming Australia Women's 13-member squad for the historic occasion.

For the unversed, Healy was ruled out of the first T20I and did not feature in the second game too. This comes after a stress reaction on her foot ruled her out of the reckoning. The selectors are hopeful for her availability for the historic game, set to begin on January 30. Beth Mooney is expected to do the glove work during the red-ball game at the MCG. Healy's participation in the final T20I remains uncertain.

Cricket Australia's Head of Performance of women's cricket and National Selector, Shawn Flegler, spoke on the same topic in relation to the squad of Australia Women.

"Alyssa has been named in the squad only as a batter and we'll give her as much time as we can to prove her fitness ahead of the match. Ash will continue to be assessed daily, and her availability for the third T20I remains uncertain. At this stage, she is on track to be available for the Test match," stated Flegler, as quoted by Cricbuzz.

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There's no bigger occasion than a pink-ball Test at the MCG: Flegler

Fledgler also commented on the squad shortlisted to take on Australia's arch-rivals.

"It's a reasonably experienced squad that have played Tests against India and South Africa in the last couple of years and one we think can beat England over the course of four days. There's no bigger occasion than a pink-ball Test at the MCG and there's no doubt the team will be looking to claim the four points up for grabs," he added.

Australia Women's squad for the D/N Test: Beth Mooney (wk), Phoebe Litchfield, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Voll, Ellyse Perry, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Alana King, Georgia Wareham, Darcie Brown, Megan Schutt