Does Australia still possess the top women’s cricket team?

Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner believes they remain the top team in the world, even though they are not the defending champions in T20 or ODI formats. Gardner expresses confidence that her team will rebound against India when the two nations clash again in February. However, she acknowledged that recent ICC events have subjected the team to a pressure they have not typically faced.

“We’ve definitely been under pressure lately. Yet I can confidently state that we’re the best team in the world,” Gardner shared with cricket.com.au.

Australia will welcome the newly-crowned 50-over world champions India for a comprehensive series that includes three T20 Internationals, three ODIs, and a Test match during February and March of next year.
“India is coming in with a lot of confidence, as they should. They’ve played some excellent cricket lately,” Gardner noted.

“They pushed us in the ODI series before the World Cup and gained the advantage in that semi-final.” She mentioned that familiarity with home conditions would benefit Australia but recognized India’s escalating challenge.

“They’re also coming to our grounds, which we know better than they do. If they do challenge us, we are prepared for those situations,” she added. This series will mark the first confrontation between the two teams since India’s semifinal victory over Australia in last month’s ODI World Cup, ending Australia’s title defense.

“In the last 12 to 18 months, we’ve lost only about two games, both during semifinals.

“This reflects the consistency of the group. It’s about aligning those pieces to hopefully secure trophies,” she elaborated.

Australia also faced elimination at the semifinal stage of the 2024 T20 World Cup, losing a tightly contested match to South Africa.

Consequently, Australia is not the reigning world champion in either white-ball format for the first time in over seven years.

Gardner pinpointed managing pressure in critical moments as the key focus for improvement.

“It’s about winning those small moments in high-pressure situations, which is essential in a World Cup, especially when playing in finals. Unfortunately, we couldn’t accomplish that,” the 28-year-old remarked.

“Under pressure, you might make the wrong decision.

“It’s vital that we ensure the mental aspect of our game is as robust as possible, as that will ultimately guide us in making the right decisions on the field,” she concluded.

(With PTI inputs)