Australia v India women’s Test: Rachael Haynes and Beth Mooney under fitness clouds

The end to an amazing run of 25 one-day international wins wasn’t the only concerning thing to come out of Australia’s loss to India on Sunday ahead of this week’s Test match.

Star Aussie batter Rachael Haynes flew to the Gold Coast with her teammates on Monday as officials wait on scan results which could determine if she plays in this week’s Test match against India.

Haynes and fellow batting gun Beth Mooney were both forced from the field during India’s victorious run chase on Sunday in Mackay as Australia’s 25-match one-day winning streak came to an end.

Both had varying degrees of hamstring soreness, with Haynes severe enough to be sent for scans before she flew south with her teammates.

Rachael Haynes is no guarantee to be fit for the India Test.

Captain Meg Lanning said she didn’t think the injury issues were “anything major” but if one, or both, missed the Test match ,the team’s batting depth would get a significant test.

Haynes made 93 not out in the opening ODI, missed the second after copping a blow to her elbow in the nets, then returned to make 13 in the third game.

Mooney was the match-winner in game two with an unbeaten 125, which she backed up with 52 in Sunday’s loss.

“We will assess it and hopefully we can put together our strongest team,” Lanning said after spinner Georgia Warehman also suffered a quad injury last Friday and Sophie Molineux took a nasty knock to her face on Sunday.

The entire seven-match, multi-format series against India is being played across just 20 days, so any injuries can have a major impact.

Australia are already without fast bowlers Megan Schutt and Tayla Vlaeminck for the one-off Test, while spinner Jess Jonassen won’t play any of the series.

Lanning said exposing young fast bowlers Darcie Brown, Hannah Darlington and Stella Campbell in the one-day series could have more immediate benefits for the Test match.

Haynes couldn’t field against India because of hamstring soreness

“We knew we’d be tested with our depth,” Lanning said.

“It did provide us the opportunity for younger players to have a crack and show us what they’ve got. Everyone who has come in has played a role and really showed some exciting skills.

“It’s great for our future, to be able to come and contribute straight away shows how strong the depth is.”

All-rounder Annabel Sutherland also claimed 3-30 from seven overs in her first international in almost a year on Sunday.

Lanning said she actually bowled the 19-year-old more than had been planned pre-match, making the “instinct call” given how well her bowling was suiting the conditions.

But Sutherland’s ability with the bat could be called on for the Test match should Haynes or Mooney not be available.

“She was excellent,” Lanning said.

Beth Mooney was in great form in the one-day series.

“She‘s had to wait her turn a little bit to get her crack and today was her opportunity, and I thought she did a great job.”

“It’s going to be pretty difficult to pick the team (for the Test), there’s a lot of good young fast bowlers in form. It’s going to come down to what the conditions look like and how we think we can take 20 wickets, which is going to be the biggest challenge.”

Lanning said the Aussies still had a bit to work on, despite taking the one-day series 2-1.

“To be honest, there‘s some areas to improve in all three areas of our game,” Lanning said.

“We didn’t take all the chances we had. Still plenty to work on. It was inevitable at some point that we were going to lose again, with the class of the teams out there it’s always close contests, and no easy wins. To have the streak as long as we did I think is an amazing effort over a long period.”

Injury scare for run machine

A nasty throwdown in the nets from a coach sent an injury scare through the Australia camp on Thursday when star opener Rachael Haynes was sent for scans on her elbow.

Haynes, the Aussie vice-captain and coming off an unbeaten 93 in Tuesday’s series-opening win over India in Mackay, was struck with a rising ball which forced her out of the nets before she was sent for scans a short time later.

It’s believed the scans were only precautionary, but a decision on whether she plays in the second game in Mackay on Friday could be left until the final hours before the match.

The Aussies have no shortage of back-up options, with T20 opener Beth Mooney, who didn’t get to bat on Tuesday, the most likely option.

One change to the team, which powered to a world record 25th-straight one-day win, is likely with Nicola Carey set to return.

A decision on whether to rotate any of the other bowlers, with the Aussies set to play 10 days of cricket across 20 days, including a historic day/night Test match, could also factor in to selection.

Teenagers Darcie Brown (18) and Hannah Darlington (19) along with Tahlia McGrath bowled 23 of Australia’s 50 overs in Tuesday’s big win in the absence of speedster Tayla Vlaeminck, who won’t return until the T20s at the end of the series.

JUST IN: Rachael Haynes has been sent for scans after this nasty blow #AUSvIND

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Australia has assembled a large squad for the multi-format series, which will be played entirely in Queensland out of Covid necessity and several players could be given opportunities ahead of next year’s World Cup.

There is a chance the other uncapped quicks, Stella Campbell and Maitlan Brown, could come in to consideration.

“I think this is the biggest squad I’ve been a part of and a lot of them are young quicks, so it’s been great in the nets facing them all,” spinner Sophie Molineux said on Thursday.

“They are all really excited, and they’ve been given the reins to be able to rip in and bowl short and try and scare opposition batters, which is great for women’s cricket. The way the girls have attacked has been great.”

Molineux herself returned to the ODI side on Tuesday to fill the gap left by spinner Jess Jonassen, another absent star.

She claimed two wickets in what was just her seventh ODI since making her debut in 2018 and enjoyed the extra opportunity 50-over cricket allows.

“I think one-day cricket sort of drags out everything; you can set up the batters and have a bit more time, rather than the frantic T20,” she said.

”I really enjoy being able to put in a couple of overs to the same batter. It definitely suits our team, one-day cricket – the skill of every player is more on show.”