Australian coach Justin Langer found some T20 World Cup answers in the West Indies

Power hitters will be crucial if Australia is any chance of winning the T20 World Cup, and one stood out big time in the West Indies.

Matthew Wade is set to captain Australia in Bangladesh. Picture: Randy Brooks / AFP

Mitch Marsh batting at number three and more left-handers could be key ingredients in Australia’s T20 World Cup mix after coach Justin Langer left the West Indies with “really good perspective”.

A decision on who will captain the team for five matches in Bangladesh, in the absence of injured skipper Aaron Finch, could have been solved by a last-start half-century to Matthew Wade.

The nominal vice-captain of the T20 side on the West Indies tour, with no Pat Cummins, Wade said he would accept the selectors’ decision.

“I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it (the captaincy)” Wade told cricket.com in Barbados.

“If I captain, I captain. If I don’t, I don’t. As I’ve said previously, we’ve got a really experienced group and I’m happy to take the reins from Finch, but if they want someone else to do it I’m happy just to play as well.

“At my age it doesn’t worry me too much.”

Langer said he was confident his team walked away from the West Indies “up and running” after losing the T20 series 4-1 before winning the ODI series 2-1.

Marsh was the leading run-scorer in the T20 series, batting at number three, and with Steve Smith still overcoming an elbow injury, he could hold that spot for October’s World Cup.

“Certainly Mitch Marsh has put his hand up,” Langer said of the all-rounder who has worn his share of criticism throughout his career.

Ashton Agar-agar and Matthew Wade got Australia homer in the third ODI in Barbados. Picture: Randy Brooks / AFP)

“I think that No.3 position is really interesting, depending on how Steve Smith comes up with his elbow injury.

“I had really good perspective after the T20 series. It was a tough series, the result was tough, but we came in off, for some of the guys, two or three months cold from playing.

“We came and we met the West Indies, who are a very, very good T20 side, and we also came knowing that a number of our first-choice players weren’t playing for us.

“So it was an awesome experience for the boys. You don’t play against power like that very often, and the boys will be better for it.

“I felt that going into the one-day series, because we‘ve been a bit up, we’ve been a bit battle hardened, we were up and running.

“I was hoping, and I thought, we played more consistent cricket and on tough wickets we did that, so it was nice to win the series.”

Langer also said more left-handed batsman could be key in the World Cup, pointing to the final match performances of Wade and Ashton Agar.

“I thought moving into the World Cup we may have been a bit short on left-handed batsman,” he said.

“But the way those guys have stood up is a huge bonus for us.”

Langer said he would be talking with fellow selectors, chairman Trevor Hohns and George Bailey, about the leadership and make-up of the T20 side in Bangladesh, with a captain to be locked in.

“But we want to be consistent with those decisions,” Langer said. “

“Hopefully, we’ve shown over a period now, we’re very consistent with how we’re selecting teams, selecting leaders, and no doubt that’ll be shown again when we get to the T20s in Bangladesh.”

Originally published as Australian coach Justin Langer found some T20 World Cup answers in the West Indies