Wicketkeeper ruled out of opening ODI but "progressing well" after a hamstring strain
Healy on the mend after hamstring strain
The Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy's recovery from a hamstring strain is "progressing well", Cricket Australia says.
Healy was ruled out of the first one-day international against New Zealand at Mt Mauganui's Bay Oval on Saturday due to a left hamstring strain suffered during Australia's third ODI against India in Hobart earlier this month.
Healy trained with the rest of the Southern Stars squad at Bay Oval on Friday, but was not deemed to have recovered enough to take her place in the playing XI against the White Ferns on Saturday.
While her absence from the first ODI was a blow for the Southern Stars, the ‘keeper appears to be on track to be fully fit for Australia’s tilt at a fourth consecutive Women's World T20 title in India next month.
Mooney comes in for Alyssa Healy, who trained well yesterday but is still recovering from a hamstring strain and is unavailable today
— Southern Stars (@SouthernStars) February 19, 2016
Healy's absence saw the gloves taken by reserve wicketkeeper Beth Mooney, who made her ODI debut having made her Southern Stars debut as a specialist batter during the T20 series against India last month.
In the lead-up to the match, Southern Stars skipper Meg Lanning said Healy's rehabilitation was progressing well.
"Alyssa's going really well, she's done all her rehab over the last couple of weeks," Lanning told cricket.com.au in the lead-up to the first ODI.
"We think Beth is a very good prospect for us, we saw her play very well in the T20s against India, so we've got her if Alyssa doesn't come up."
Healy left the field in the seventh over of India's batting innings in Hobart, taking no further part in the match as a precaution, and was assessed by Cricket Australia's Sports Doctor John Orchard the following day.
Mooney forced her way into Australia's T20 XI on the back of strong form with the bat in the Rebel Women's Big Bash League, before scoring 36, 10 and 34 in three 20-over matches against India.
The Southern Stars have a hectic one-day schedule in New Zealand, playing three ODIs in the space of six days, all at Bay Oval.
They then have a three-day break before the first of three T20 Internationals against the White Ferns.
Their first warm-up match in India is scheduled for March 14 against West Indies in Chennai, before their campaign kicks off in earnest against South Africa on March 18 in Nagpur.