AUS W vs ENG W | Australia captain Alyssa Healy ruled out of England tie with calf injury

‌Australia captain Alyssa Healy will miss her side’s penultimate group match against England in the Women’s ODI World Cup in Indore on Wednesday. Healy suffered a calf strain during training on Saturday and all-rounder Tahlia McGrath is expected to lead the side in her absence.

The wicketkeeper-batter has been in rollicking form with back-to-back hundreds against India and Bangladesh in Australia’s last two games in the tournament. The defending champions are currently on top of the points table with nine points from five games and have already sealed their spot in the last four stage. But the game against arch-rivals England will be pivotal for them to decide who among both sides will finish on top of the points table.

"Really unfortunate there for Midge , but we know we have got some options," Australia head coach Shelley Nitschke said in Indore on Tuesday. "It's twofold. Obviously, it's a big loss for us. She's our captain, she's made back-to-back hundreds, she's certainly in some form with the bat.

“We talk about our depth a bit, and that's going to be tested. It's going to provide some opportunities for others to step up into some role, which we've got the ability to cover. She's (Tahlia McGrath) someone that certainly steps up when she's leading the team. So, I'm looking forward to seeing her out there captaining us, and I know she'd do a fantastic job."

Georgia Voll is expected to take Healy’s place at the top of the batting order and will open alongside Phoebe Litchfield. The 22-year-old Voll was part of the Aussie team in the three-match series against India ahead of the World Cup, and scored a half-century in the second game.

"Georgia Voll is here and has filled that role before," Nitschke said. "We'll sit down today and probably just make sure we're getting our matchups right and come to a final decision, but she's the obvious choice."

"Volly's a pretty casual customer," Nitschke said. "She seems to be able to take everything in her stride, and if we do go that way and select her, I'm sure that she's going to be ready and up for the challenge. She has shown that she has certainly got what it takes to perform at this level, and doesn't seem to get too overawed by an occasion. So if that's the way we go, I've got full confidence that she's going to be ready to step in."