Don’t want to bowl to Shafali, Smriti: Schutt
SYDNEY: Clobbered by Shafali Verma and Smriti Mandhana recently, Australian pacer Megan Schutt says she hates playing against India and doesn’t want to bowl at the marauding duo during powerplay when the two teams clash in the Women’s T20 World Cup final here on Sunday. Schutt, who took a crucial 2/17 in Australia’s five-run win over South Africa in the rain-hit semi-final on Thursday, has still not recovered from the drubbing she got at the hands of Verma in the tournament-opener.
She was hit for four boundaries by Verma in her opening over of the tournament, and Schutt admitted her concerns about bowling to Indian openers.
“I just hate playing India they’ve got the wood over me,” Schutt was quoted as saying by the official website of the ICC.
“Smriti and Shefali have got me covered. That six Shafali hit me for in the tri-series was probably the biggest one I’ve ever been hit for. There are obviously some plans we’re going to revisit as bowlers. (But) clearly, I’m not the best match-up to those two in the Powerplay. They find me quite easy to play,” she added.
Schutt bore the brunt of Verma and Mandhana’s attacking fury in the very first over of last month’s tri-series as well. She was struck for four by Verma off the first ball and lifted for a six by Mandhana. But both the sides will again meet each other in Sunday’s summit clash, where India will have an edge after stunning the defending champions by 17 runs in the tournament opener.
“We’re at that final we’ve been talking about for so long and against India, which is super fitting considering the tri-series we had. It couldn’t really be a bigger challenge for us,” Schutt said.
“It’s not really a bad thing, it’s good we’re going up against a team we’ve played a lot recently and it’s the same for them as well.”
STARC CUTS TOUR TO WATCH WIFE HEALY
POT CHEF ST ROOM: AUSTRALIA will be without fast bowler Mitchell Starc for Saturday’s final one-day international against South Africa after he was given permission to leave the tour to watch his wife Alyssa Healy compete in the women’s T20 World Cup final.
Healy will feature for Australia against India in the decider of the global T20 competition at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, and will be able to count on the support of Starc.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Mitch to watch Alyssa in a home World Cup final and so we were happy to allow him to return home to support his wife and be part of a fantastic occasion,” coach Justin Langer said in a statement from Cricket Australia on Friday.
“It is something we have been talking about for a while and, given Mitch has had a considerable workload in all three formats this summer, his heading home a couple of days ahead of the rest of the squad means he will have a chance to refresh ahead of our home and away one-day internationals and T20I against New Zealand that will wrap up our season.
“We have plenty of fast bowling options with us here in South Africa with Josh Hazlewood, Jhye Richardson and Kane Richardson all sitting out our previous match in Bloemfontein, and Mitch’s absence will offer one of them an opportunity to impress in Saturday’s match.”
Most relieved, perhaps, will be home captain Quinton de Kock, who has been tormented by Starc on the tour as he bowled South Africa’s premier batsman in three of his five innings.
South africa have already won the three-match series with a 2-0 lead going into the final match. Healy, who holds the record for the most runs in a Women’s T20IS with 148 not out against Sri Lanka last October, will hope to help Australia win a sixth World Cup in their last seven attempts in the 20-over format.