New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS) With the countdown to the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 underway, former captain Meg Lanning has revealed her preferred Australia XI to kickstart their title defence against New Zealand on October 1 in Indore.

Speaking on The ICC Review, Lanning outlined her picks and the selection dilemmas facing Alyssa Healy’s side as they prepare for the trans-Tasman clash.

At the top of the order, she backed a blend of experience and youthful aggression in Alyssa Healy and Phoebe Litchfield. “I think the batting lineup, you’ve got Healy and Litchfield, who have shown over the last little bit that they’re a pretty dynamic partnership up the top there,” she said.

Familiar stars follow in the middle order, with Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney, Ash Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, and Tahlia McGrath all slotting into her XI. “And then the batting lineup sort of takes care of itself in a lot of ways with Perry and Mooney, Ash Gardner, Annabel Sutherland, and Tahlia McGrath sort of rounding all of that out,” Lanning noted.

Mooney’s dual role as a potential wicketkeeper adds further depth. “This grouping provides Australia with a strong all-round balance, whereas Mooney is also capable of taking over the gloves, should the need arise,” Lanning explained.

However, the real puzzle, she admitted, lies in the bowling department. “I think the challenge will be picking the bowlers and what sort of lineup they want to go with there,” she said.

She highlighted the options available, saying “We’ve got Darcie Brown with a little bit more pace, who might be a little bit more effective on some wickets. And then you’ve obviously got the two leg spinners too [Alana King and Georgia Wareham], who they’ve been playing in this [ongoing] series [against India], which they have [also] done in the past, but maybe not so much recently.”

Ultimately, Lanning suggested conditions in Indore will dictate the final call. “I think the conditions will play a big part. Is it going to spin a lot? You know, therefore we might play an extra spinner, but if we feel like there’s enough there for the quicks, then you’ve got Darcie Brown and Kim Garth to come in. So that’s the question that’s going to be worked through for the Australians.”

Lanning also warned that New Zealand will pose a stiff challenge in the opener. Fresh from winning the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024, the White Ferns will be aiming for a historic double.

“They’ve shown on the big stage they can get it done. I know when I was involved in series and World Cup matches against them, it was always a big game because we know they’ve got some really dangerous players and some match winners in there who’ve been around for a long time and know how it all works,” she concluded.

–IANS

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