Beth Mooney backed to keep in India Test if Alyssa Healy unfit
Hope remains that Alyssa Healy will be fit for the start of Australia’s India tour, but coach Shelley Nitschke has pumped up her possible replacement.
Australian women’s coach Shelley Nitschke has backed Beth Mooney to take the gloves in a blockbuster Test match against India next month if Alyssa Healy is unable to play.
Healy has been named in Australia’s squad as her finger remains in a splint following an injury suffered in a freak accident with her pet dogs last month, with Mooney the only backup wicketkeeper selected.
Mooney opened the batting in Australia’s most recent Test against England in June and hit a crucial 85 in the second innings in a hard fought 89-run win.
Taking the gloves during a four-day Test at Mumbai with spin bowlers expected to be used heavily would add a huge load to Mooney’s already significant responsibilities, but Nitschke said she would provide a “smooth fix” if Healy wasn’t ready to play in the series opener.
“We’re hopeful that Midge (Healy) is going to be OK … obviously we’ve got Moons there in the squad as well who’s a fantastic keeper in her own right.
“Should she slot into that position, I think that would be a smooth fix, but there’s also other options.”
Healy was interim captain during skipper Meg Lanning’s extended absence, but Australia did not confirm its new leader when the squad was named on Tuesday night.
Nitschke said the need for a permanent captain meant putting in more time to choose the right successor for Lanning.
“There’s a process that needs to be undertaken, given Meg’s retirement means we have to replace the captain on a permanent basis, whereas Alyssa was in there before more as an interim,” she said.
“That’s going to take some time to work through … the process is under way at the moment.”
India will play a Test match in the lead-up to the Australia game against England, but the Aussies will enter the series off the back of the WBBL season and will need to quickly adjust to the longer format.
Nitschke said the extra Test experience for their opponents would not necessarily hurt the Australians’ chances.
“I think there’s two ways to look at it … (India) will be playing that format and will learn a lot from that. They will also maybe be a little bit tired, who knows?” she said.
“It certainly gives us an opportunity to have a look at that game and how that plays out and take some (lessons) ourselves from that as well.
“It’s going to be finding that balance, particularly those (players) who are going through to the WBBL finals, making sure they have another time to get a bit of a break but then get on the tools again to prepare for a Test match.”
Explosive Brisbane Heat batter Grace Harris, who was picked solely for the three T20 games in the seven-match series, had to score runs more consistently to earn another crack at the ODI side, Nitschke said.
“For Gracie, it’s putting the runs on the board no matter what level or what games she’s playing. She’s certainly in and around the mark, we know how much she can win a game off her own bat quite literally … but at this stage we’re just looking at her as a T20 option,” she said.
Nitschke praised the resilience of left-arm quick Lauren Cheatle following her recall to the side after almost five years out, saying the variation she offered to the bowling attack had appealed to the selectors.
“It’s a really good story for Cheats and one of resilience – hats off to her, she just keeps coming back … it’s a really nice message for our selectors to deliver, one of a recall to our squad,” Nitschke said.
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