FINAL CHALLENGE Aussies rethink bowling tactics for T20 World Cup final
AUSTRALIA quick Megan Schutt has admitted India’s openers have the wood on her ahead of tomorrow’s Twenty20 World Cup final.
The Aussies suffered their only loss of the tournament in their opener against India last month after the visitors’ top order got off to a flying start.
Schutt has enjoyed a strong World Cup, sitting as the equal top wickettaker with nine for the tournament.
However, she had an unhappy opening night against India, with Shafali Verma hitting the Aussie for 16 from just one over.
Verma also took to the world’s best quick in a tri-series last month, hitting
Schutt back over her head for a huge six.
“India, I hate playing. They’ve got the wood on me,” Schutt admitted.
“Smriti (Mandhana) and (Shafali) Verma, they’ve got me covered.”
Australia have beaten India three times this summer, and India have had Australia’s measure twice.
Schutt was superb in Thursday night’s win over South Africa, producing a pearler of an inswinger to bowl the dangerous Dane van Niekerk.
The Aussie is the world’s best swing bowler and has taken on even more responsibility in the attack with Ellyse Perry out of the finals injured.
And Schutt’s record against Mandhana is also not as bad as the quick would have you believe. The rightarmer has dismissed her four times in Twenty20 cricket – more than she has any other batter.
But Verma is a different challenge. The fearless 16-year-old has menaced several opening bowlers, is the tournament’s leading six hitter, with 19, and has the tournament-high strike rate of 161 while still averaging 40.25.
Schutt suggested she could be held back out of the powerplay and away from India’s openers up front.
“There are obviously some plans we’re going to revisit as bowlers,” she said. “
“Clearly I don’t think I’m the best match-up to those two in the power play – they find me easy to play – but it’s not a bad thing. It’s cool we go in against a team we played in the triseries and we know where they’re at as a team and same with them with us.”
Perry will not play at the MCG, but will have a key role.
In Australia’s final pool game, the 29-year-old cut a distraught figure after suffering a tournament-ending hamstring injury. At the SCG, she was overcome with joy while embracing teammates after their dramatic semifinal victory over South Africa.
“To come off the field at the SCG and see the absolute pure joy in her eyes and the tears as well, I could have cried ... it shows the team character that she is,” Schutt said.
With Rob Forsaith