India has the edge on Schutt

AUSTRALIAN quick Megan Schutt has admitted India’s openers have the wood over her ahead of tomorrow’s Twenty20 World Cup final.

The Aussies suffered their only loss of their campaign in the tournament opener to India last month, where the visitors’ top order got off to a flying start. Schutt has enjoyed a strong World Cup, sitting as the equal top wicket-taker with nine for the tournament.

However, she had an unhappy opening night against India, with Shafali Verma hitting her for 16 from just one over early in the loss.

Verma also took to the world’s best quick in a tri-series last month, hitting her back over her head for a massive six.

“India, I hate playing,” Schutt admitted. “They’ve got the wood on me. Smriti [Mandhana] and [Shafali] Verma, they’ve got me covered.”

In total, Australia has beaten India three times this summer, and India has won 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.

Her record against Mandhana is also not as bad as she would have you believe. The right-armer has dismissed her four four times in Twenty20 cricket — more than she has any other batter.

But Verma is a different challenge. The fearless 16year-old has menaced several opening bowlers, as the leading six hitter with 19 at a tournament-high strike rate of 161 while still averaging 40.25.

And 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,” Schutt 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 tri-series and we know where they’re at as a team and same with them with us.”