Australia captain Alyssa Healy suffered a calf strain while batting in the fourth women's T20I against India and was ruled out of the contest. A word on her availability for the final game of the tour was awaited.
Healy, leading for the first time in place of Meg Lanning, who is on an indefinite break, helped Australia get off to a quick start after they were asked to bat. She raced to 30 off 21 balls, hitting six fours in the process. On the penultimate ball of the powerplay, she moved well across to the off side and pulled Deepti Sharma to the square leg fence. That is when she appeared to have tweaked her calf.
Healy was seen hobbling and, after some attention from the physio, decided to carry on. However, a ball later, she was unable to pinch a quick run, which is when she decided to walk off. Not long after that, she was ruled out from further participation in the game.
After the series against India, Healy was due to play the Women's National Cricket League, the domestic 50-overs competition in Australia. From January 16, Australia are scheduled to take on Pakistan at home for a six-match white-ball series starting with the three ODIs, which are part of the ICC Women's Championship cycle.
In Healy's absence, Tahlia McGrath, the designated vice-captain in Mumbai, will take over the side. Beth Mooney is the back-up wicketkeeper. She has donned the gloves regularly in the Women's Big Bash League - first for Brisbane Heat and then for Perth Scorchers.
Should Healy be ruled out of the fifth T20I, Phoebe Litchfield could be an option to open the batting, having done so for Sydney Thunder in the WBBL. Healy is the second Australian player to suffer an injury on the tour, after Jess Jonassen was ruled out with hamstring problems last Sunday.