Australia beats India with the highest successful run chase in women’s ODI cricket

VISAKHAPATNAM, India (AP) — Alyssa Healy scored 142 as Australia beat India by three wickets in the highest successful run chase in women’s one-day international cricket.

Defending champion Australia won with an over to spare under lights in dewy conditions Sunday and moved atop the standings at the Women's Cricket World Cup with wins over New Zealand, Pakistan and now India.

Australia finished on 331-7 with Ellyse Perry (47 not out) hitting the winning six off the last ball of the 49th over, in reply to India's 330 in 48.5 overs.

Healy’s 107-ball innings included 21 fours and three sixes. It was a sixth ODI hundred for the Australia skipper, her second against India and third at World Cups.

Earlier, Smriti Mandhana’s 80 runs off 66 balls provided a great start for India after Australia won the toss and opted to bowl.

Mandhana hit nine fours and three sixes. She put on 155 runs for the first wicket with Pratika Rawal, who scored 75 off 96 at the ACA-VDCA Stadium. But India lost its last six wickets for 36 runs, and its dismissal with seven balls left proved costly.

Co-host India lost its previous game to South Africa by three wickets at the same venue.

Seven-time champion Australia is unbeaten in 12 Cricket World Cup games stretching back to 2022. It next plays Bangladesh on Thursday, at the same Visakhapatnam venue.

India has a week off before it plays four-time champion England in Indore.

Healy was player of the match.

“I’m really proud of the group today," Healy said. “We have been preaching about our batting depth and this chase proves it. Full credit to our bowlers for pulling it back – we could have been chasing 360."

South Africa plays Bangladesh on Monday, also in Visakhapatnam.

Mandhana led India’s top-order revival as she and Rawal provided its best start of the tournament in the first-ever 150-plus opening stand against Australia in women’s ODIs.

Mandhana also crossed 1,000 calendar ODI runs – a first in women’s cricket. She scored 50 off 46 balls, also reaching 5,000 career runs in the quickest time (112 innings) and becoming the second Indian – and fifth overall – women's cricketer to achieve this feat.

Left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux proved expensive (3-75) but she broke through with Mandhana’s wicket. She also dismissed Harleen Deol, who scored 38 off 42 balls.

Medium pacer Annabel Sutherland took 5-40 – her first five-wicket haul. She had Rawal caught in the 31st over, before triggering the lower-order collapse.

Skipper Kaur scored 22 off 17 balls, while Jemimah Rodrigues scored 33 off 21.

Richa Ghosh provided the final flourish, with 32 off 22 but Sutherland’s late burst of wickets meant India crashed from 294-5 to 330 all out.

Healy and Phoebe Litchfield responded with an 85-run opening stand.

Litchfield scored a 39-ball 40 as Australia took advantage of a dewy outfield. Healy struck a barrage of boundaries – she hit eight fours and a six in 50 off 35 balls.

Left-arm spinner Shree Charani dismissed Litchfield, but Perry combined with Healy for 69 off 76 balls for the second wicket. Perry walked off with a hamstring issue, but returned later to guide the chase.

Two quick wickets fell but Healy ploughed on – she reached 100 off 84 balls and shared a stand of 95 off 70 balls with Ashleigh Gardner (45).

Healy was out in the 39th over and Amanjot Kaur struck twice late to cause some concern for Australia, but Perry and Kim Garth were there at the end for a stunning victory.

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Australia's Ellyse Perry leaves the field retired hurt during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between India and Australia at ACA–VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Australia's Ellyse Perry, left, and batting partner Kim Garth celebrate after their win in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match against India at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

India's Smriti Mandhana plays a shot during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between India and Australia at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur leaves the field after their loss in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match against Australia at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur, center, leaves the field after their loss in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match against Australia at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Australia's captain Alyssa Healy plays a shot during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between India and Australia at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Australia's Ellyse Perry, left, and batting partner Kim Garth celebrate after their win in the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match against India at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur trains ahead of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between India and Australia at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur trains ahead of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between India and Australia at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

A tattoo is seen on the leg of India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur as she trains ahead of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between India and Australia at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Australia's captain Alyssa Healy, right, speaks to former Australian cricketer and commentator Mel Jones after the coin toss ahead of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between India and Australia at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Australia's captain Alyssa Healy, left, and India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur walk past each other after the coin toss ahead of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between India and Australia at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

India's captain Harmanpreet Kaur, left, and Australia's captain Alyssa Healy at the coin toss ahead of the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup match between India and Australia at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, India, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

CHICAGO (AP) — Caleb Williams' last throw in regulation was a backpedaling, fourth-down rainbow that landed in Cole Kmet's hands in the corner of the end zone for a breathtaking touchdown.

His last throw of the game was the beginning of the end for Chicago's surprising season.

Williams almost rallied the Bears to another memorable win on Sunday night. But he threw his third interception in overtime and Matthew Stafford drove the Los Angeles Rams to Harrison Mevis' winning field goal in a 20-17 victory in the divisional round of the playoffs.

“It's tough. In these moments, you feel that you let your team down,” Williams said. “You feel this or that. It’s a good lesson learned for us, first time being in this situation for me and for us as a team. I’m excited for what’s to come. But obviously going to go back and watch this and figure out how I can be better, and that’s the exciting part.”

The 24-year-old Williams led Chicago to an NFL-record seven wins this season when trailing in last 2 minutes of regulation. He threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore with 1:43 left in a 31-27 victory over Green Bay in the first round of the playoffs.

This time, the Bears (12-7) were losing 17-10 when they got the ball back with 1:50 left in the fourth quarter. And, just like before, Williams delivered.

Facing a fourth-and-4 at the Rams 14 with 27 seconds left, Williams took a shotgun snap and surveyed the field. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft was forced to backpedal as the pocket collapsed, and he scampered all the way back to the 40 with Jared Verse, Josaiah Stewart and Braden Fiske all in pursuit for the Rams.

Williams turned, saw Kmet in the end zone and threw the ball in his direction just as Verse and Stewart got to the second-year QB.

“I ended up getting a little bit of pressure, so try and break contain and just break angles and slow those guys down so that when I do turn around, I can have a little bit more time possibly to find somebody,” Williams said, “and they did a good job containing me, so I just gained a little bit more depth, and I saw Cole one-on-one over there.”

Kmet wrestled with Rams cornerback Cobie Turner before hauling in the pass, sending a charge through the crowd of 60,253 on a frigid night at Soldier Field.

“It felt like a pretty easy pitch-and-catch and kind of felt like it was in slow motion,” Kmet said. “I can’t believe Caleb.”

Bears coach Ben Johnson called the throw “ridiculous.”

“There’s some things that you just can’t coach. ... He’s got a knack, he’s clutch,” Johnson said.

According to Next Gen Stats, Williams' pass traveled 51.2 yards in the air for the longest completed pass by air distance in the red zone since at least 2016. He made the throw from 26.5 yards behind the line of scrimmage; no quarterback since 2016, according to Next Gen Stats, had completed a pass from a depth of more than 22 yards.

It had a completion probability of 17.8%.

“It was the most special throw that I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen him do that so many times this year,” Bears safety Kevin Byard said.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams talks to reporters following his team's overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams during an NFL football divisional playoff game Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams throws a pass against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL football divisional playoff game Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws a pass as Los Angeles Rams defensive end Kobie Turner (91) applies pressure during the second half of an NFL football divisional playoff game Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams gestures as he leaves the field following his team's overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams during an NFL football divisional playoff game Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) throws a touchdown pass to tight end Cole Kmet, not visible, as Los Angeles Rams linebacker Josaiah Stewart (10) and linebacker Jared Verse (8) apply pressure during the second half of an NFL football divisional playoff game Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)