Ash Gardner’s huge knock not enough to deny India tri-series win over Australia at Junction Oval
India pulled off the third highest run chase in women’s T20 internationals to leave Australia uncertain of making the final of a tri-series tournament designed as a fine tuner for a successful World Cup defence.
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Does Australia have the World Cup wobbles?
Players and coaches have nothing to do with setting odds, but the bookies have the home team prohibitive favourites to host the final at the MCG for which organisers desperately need the Aussies to feature in to break the world record crowd for a women’s match.
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It’s all they can talk about. The officials that is.
That final is a few warm-ups, four World Cup games, and more than a month away.
But one win in three matches in a tri-series against the next best, England and India, could compel the Aussies to play a 9:30am match on Wednesday against a CA XI instead of one more clash against their main World Cup rivals.
The Aussies have to beat England in the final match on Sunday to avoid that and Ashleigh Gardner, who made a career high 93 batting at number three in the seven-wicket loss dismissed any concerns over the team’s form, for now.
“I wouldn’t say concerns because I don’t think we’ve lost by much. If we got smashed it would be a different conversation,” she said.
“We only just lost those games, one was a super over, and we were lucky to get to the super over.
“Those are clutch moments and we always talk about winning the close ones and we haven’t won two of the three, which his unfortunate.”
Whether Saturday’s loss was close is up for debate. The Indians chased down Australia’s 173 just three wickets down, and with three balls to spare.
“But these games don’t matter as such as the World Cup,” Gardner said.
“This series is all about trying things. I think it’s a good learning curve for us.”
Yesterday India sputtered to 120 in 20 overs. Today they mowed down 170. They won’t be consistent at the World Cup but you won’t want to miss them.
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) February 8, 2020
ASH HAS GOT A NEW FAN
In the hours before the game Gardner, who called herself a cricket nuffie, posed for a photo with legends Brian Lara and Wasim Akram, in town for the Bushfire Bash.
Still buzzing, she then plundered 93 off 57 balls with 11 fours and three sixes after going in a 1-0.
“Maybe it did give ne a bit of inspiration. Wasim Akram actually said he was going to start following my career, and I felt a bit of pressure,” Gardner said.
“I’m off to a good start. Hopefully him following my career is a good thing for me.”
ACHILLES HEAL?
This time last year Aussie opener Alyssa Healy was in enjoying the purplest of purple patches and was so dominant she ended the season with the Belinda Clarke medal around her neck.
But in three digs through the current tri-series Healy has managed just 10 runs after a third ball duck at the Junction Oval.
It’s a rare run of outs for a batter with nearly 4000 runs for her country, but has been part of an underwhelming summer.
Healy has passed 50 just twice in her past 10 innings, international and in the WBBL, and Saturday’s duck was her fourth in that run.