Litchfield: Life after Healy will be 'a massive change'

Phoebe Litchfield is set to overcome a quad injury and be fit for the start of the upcoming multi-series against India as Australia prepare to send off retiring skipper Alyssa Healy in style.

Litchfield's strong WPL season was cut short by the niggle and she returned home to rehab in a bid to be ready for the T20I leg against India starting on February 15 at the SCG.

She had been in superb touch for UP Warriorz, finishing with 243 runs from six games at an average of 40.50 and striking at 154.77. Her last match was on January 22, hitting 32 off 27 deliveries against Gujarat Giants.

"[It was] a little niggle, which was unfortunate because we needed to win those last couple of games," Litchfield said. "It was devastating to leave early but took the cautious approach knowing what was coming up and how important this series is for us girls. On track for game one, hopefully. Fingers crossed."

Litchfield had been touted as a possible successor to Healy, but Sophie Molineux has taken the reins and she will lead a new era in the three-match T20I series.

"We're really excited and we get into camp next week," Litchfield said, with Australia's last match being the semi-final defeat to India at the World Cup in October. "Really pumped to see the girls and we're really motivated to hopefully have a really successful series.

"It's [Healy] a big hole to fill, but Soph will do an amazing job and backed up by all of us."

The focus will then shine on the farewell for Healy, who will lead the team for the final stretch of her career in the subsequent three-match ODI series and one-off Test at the WACA.

"Our group's really excited to send Midge [Healy] off really positively," Litchfield said. "I can't speak for her, but I think she's keen to get one up against the Indian girls after that World Cup semi."

Litchfield, 22, was only seven years old when Healy made her international debut and naturally grew up idolising the wicketkeeper-batter.

"I remember she was one of the first signatures I got on one of my first bats," Litchfield revealed. "I'd kept it silent just to not be weird and not seem like a huge fan.

"When she announced her retirement, I sent a picture of my 10-year-old bat with her signature on it, she was like 'that's pretty cool'. So to be able to share the crease with Alyssa Healy was a very cool moment in my career."

Litchfield said Healy's retirement announcement did catch her by surprise. "I was like 'woah, that's going to be a massive change'," she said. "She's been there so long and written into the team's identity, similar to Meg Lanning. It's going to be really strange not seeing A. Healy on the team list.

"It's been a privilege to share the field with her."

Healy's swansong will be at the WACA day-night Test match, which is exactly one month away. To honour the occasion, the slanting grass bank near the iconic scoreboard will be renamed 'Healy Hill' and the match doubles as the unveiling of the redeveloped WACA which will have a crowd capacity of 10,000.

After years of construction, the finishing touches are being put on the ground with an aquatic pool in the terraces opening to patrons this week.

"I think WA Cricket have done an amazing job with the redevelopment and it just looks amazing," she said. "Hopefully, the fan experience is awesome.

"From a cricketer's perspective, it's an amazing place to bat but also a real challenge early on with the ball as an opening batter. I think it offers a lot and is a really great ground for women's cricket."