Meg Lanning raring to go in one-day comeback for Australia
By Srinidhi PR | Express News Service | Published: 12th March 2018 02:03 AM |
Last Updated: 12th March 2018 07:13 AM | A+A A- |
Australia captain Meg Lanning plays a shot during a second one-day warm-up cricket match against the India A team at the Mumbai Cricket Association Ground in Mumbai on March 8, 2018. | AFP
VADODARA: When Australia’s squad for their India tour was announced, what came as a big relief for them was the return of Meg Lanning.The Australian captain has been out of action for nearly seven months due to the reconstruction of her right shoulder and will make her international comeback on Monday.
Lanning, one short of 3,000 ODI runs — she also has an average of 51.75 against India in this format — is one of the biggest positives for the visiting side.
“It was frustrating to watch from the sidelines. We played a really big series in the Ashes. This has been something to look forward and get myself ready for. I feel really confident,” said Lanning, who shook off some rust with a 55-ball 63 in Australia’s second warm-up match against India A last Thursday.
Though their semifinal loss to India in the World Cup last year was a nightmare for the Aussies, Lanning admitted that the defeat taught them a lot. “There’s no doubt that it hurt us, but we learned a lot from it. We feel like we are in a better space as a team. We’ve improved on some things. We are focussing on more all-rounders. India have been playing really good cricket, and it’s going to be tough. We’re looking forward to testing our skills.”
A series win against England in ODIs was a glimpse of Australia coming up with a different strategy — especially in terms of their Playing XI — to get the better of their opponents, coach Matthew Mott revealed. With Alex Blackwell’s retirement, they have been working on Plan B.
“Team balance changed against England in ODIs and T20s. We’re blessed with many all-round options now. During the World Cup, our team balance wasn’t right. The best teams learn from their mistakes; that’s something we have done well.
“There’ll be opportunities for some to step up in this series. We’ve picked some who’ve shown good form in the Women’s Big Bash League. India are definitely up against a team that will respond better to the pressure they put on us in the semifinal,” the coach remarked.
