Australia players Mitchell Starc and Alyssa Healy have completed a first by becoming the first married couple to play in Test matches simultaneously. Both are also playing their 287th international game for Australia.
Healy is captaining Australia women in the one-off Ashes Test in Melbourne at the same time as Starc plays for Australia men in their opening Test against Sri Lanka in Galle. There have been two other married couples whose partners have played Test cricket: Ruth Westbrook and Roger Prideaux (England), and Rasanjali Silva and Joe de Alwis (Sri Lanka). However, neither of these two couples played in Test matches occurring simultaneously.
Healy was cleared to play in the Ashes Test in Melbourne after missing several matches in the white-ball series with a foot injury. She is not occupying her normal role behind the stumps, with Beth Mooney filling in with the gloves. Starc took a wicket in his third over of Sri Lanka's first innings in Galle yesterday (January 30), after Australia declared their first innings on 654-6.
The historic double isn't the only record the couple have broken with their simultaneous appearances. Both players are appearing in their 287th game for Australia, giving them 574 international caps together. Healy has played 10 Tests, 115 ODIs and 162 T20Is, while Starc is playing in his 95th Test match, with 127 ODI appearances under his belt and 65 T20I caps.
Australia restrict England to a modest total in Melbourne despite Nat Sciver-Brunt’s fighting fifty.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) January 30, 2025
Scorecard ➡️ https://t.co/b5RvFJta2c pic.twitter.com/37VlZ8yBaS
The couple is set to fall out of sync with their international appearances in a couple of weeks when Starc will likely feature in the second Test match against Sri Lanka as well as the following ODI series. Healy's next cricket for Australia will be a T20I series against New Zealand in March, injury and WPL commitments allowing.
Healy and Starc have been married since 2016.
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