Hobart, Feb 28 (IANS) Uncapped teenage pacer Lucy Hamilton is edging closer to a potential international debut after being named in contention for the third and final ODI of the series against India, with Australia women’s cricket team grappling with a growing injury list.

Australia currently hold a 6–4 advantage in the multi-format points-based contest following a commanding victory at Bellerive Oval on Friday. A clean sweep of the ODI leg in Hobart would ensure they retain the series trophy ahead of the upcoming day-night Test in Perth.

Hamilton, a left-arm quick, added to the squad after injuries to Kim Garth and Ellyse Perry, has been building her workload in preparation for the longer format and was seen putting in extended spells in the nets during Friday’s fixture. Her inclusion has accelerated her exposure to the national setup, with selectors closely monitoring her readiness.

Australia selector Shawn Flegler confirmed Hamilton was firmly in the mix for Sunday’s clash. “That’s one of the opportunities for us. We’ll look at how things go today (in the second ODI) … hopefully we get another win, and then that gives us an opportunity to have a look at Luce possibly in game three,” Flegler was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

“Lucy’s come in for the ODIs and that’s an opportunity for her to be around the squad just a little bit earlier than what was originally planned. We’ll see how today goes, and perhaps there’s an opportunity for her on Sunday as well. We’re looking forward to seeing what she can do within this Australian side, I think she’s got a huge feature ahead of her,” he added.

With the same surface expected to be used again, conditions could increasingly favour spin, potentially opening the door for leg-spinner Georgia Wareham to return to the XI. The hosts have already been forced into reshuffling their attack, with Nicola Carey stepping in after Sophie Molineux was ruled out of the remainder of the series due to a back injury. Carey marked her comeback ODI with a wicket but proved expensive, conceding 55 runs in eight overs.

Team management may also consider rotating key fast bowlers, including Darcie Brown, who has featured in every match so far, to manage workload ahead of the Test.

“The wicket’s played really well so far, maybe it’ll keep a little bit lower on Sunday if we play on the same wicket, it might turn a little bit more. We’ve also got Georgia Wareham champing at the bit to have a crack as well … we’ve got a couple of options there,” Flegler said.

Australia are expected to bolster their squad further before the pink-ball Test at the WACA Ground, with injuries continuing to influence selection decisions.

“We’ll work through that over the next 24 to 48 hours, but we’ll certainly have to bring someone in,” Flegler added.

The team is scheduled to travel to Perth on Monday, allowing a brief window to recover and recalibrate as they aim to close out the series strongly while also preparing for the demands of the four-day contest.

–IANS

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