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While the Ashes have been retained for yet another cycle – Australia have held the top prize since 2015 – Nitschke’s team is determined to finish the campaign with victory in the day-night Test, the first time a women’s Test has been held at the venue since 1949.
Welcome back: Ash Gardner is expected to return from a calf injury.Credit: Getty Images
Australia’s resolute manner has been on display all summer. They claimed 3-0 sweeps in the one-day international and Twenty20 components of the series, meaning they hold a 12-0 advantage in series points, with two points granted for a white-ball win. The final crusade will involve a quick turnaround for the one-off, four-day Test, where four points are awarded to the winner.
“That’s the challenge for all teams across multi-format series. We have had the pink ball in and around for a little while to use when they want. I think it’s something we are getting better at – we are starting to play a few more Tests now. But it’s certainly a quick turnaround,” Nitschke said when asked about the short break between white-ball matches and the Test.
Nitschke said her team would review how the drop-in wickets at the MCG had played throughout the first-class season and in the men’s Boxing Day Test against India, the latter culminating in a stunning Australian win in the final session of day five.
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The pitch had a strong cushioning of grass on Tuesday, as it did leading into the men’s Test.
Cricket Australia chairman Mike Baird said he expected strong crowd support through the Test.
“When you look across the world, what they have achieved stands up against any team in the world. In Australia, I think, genuinely, this is the best sporting team Australia has produced,” Baird said.
“If you go through the records, it speaks for itself. Whether it be, before Dubai [last year], three T20 World Cups in a row, they are holders of the ODI [World Cup] and today they get the ICC championship trophy which reflects over four years, success against the top 10 teams. They are No.1, and they are No.1 for a reason.”
The last time a women’s Ashes series featured a day-night Test was 2017, when Ellyse Perry stroked a double century at North Sydney Oval.
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While the Ashes have been retained for yet another cycle – Australia have held the top prize since 2015 – Nitschke’s team is determined to finish the campaign with victory in the day-night Test, the first time a women’s Test has been held at the venue since 1949.
Welcome back: Ash Gardner is expected to return from a calf injury.Credit: Getty Images
Australia’s resolute manner has been on display all summer. They claimed 3-0 sweeps in the one-day international and Twenty20 components of the series, meaning they hold a 12-0 advantage in series points, with two points granted for a white-ball win. The final crusade will involve a quick turnaround for the one-off, four-day Test, where four points are awarded to the winner.
“That’s the challenge for all teams across multi-format series. We have had the pink ball in and around for a little while to use when they want. I think it’s something we are getting better at – we are starting to play a few more Tests now. But it’s certainly a quick turnaround,” Nitschke said when asked about the short break between white-ball matches and the Test.
Nitschke said her team would review how the drop-in wickets at the MCG had played throughout the first-class season and in the men’s Boxing Day Test against India, the latter culminating in a stunning Australian win in the final session of day five.
Loading
The pitch had a strong cushioning of grass on Tuesday, as it did leading into the men’s Test.
Cricket Australia chairman Mike Baird said he expected strong crowd support through the Test.
“When you look across the world, what they have achieved stands up against any team in the world. In Australia, I think, genuinely, this is the best sporting team Australia has produced,” Baird said.
“If you go through the records, it speaks for itself. Whether it be, before Dubai [last year], three T20 World Cups in a row, they are holders of the ODI [World Cup] and today they get the ICC championship trophy which reflects over four years, success against the top 10 teams. They are No.1, and they are No.1 for a reason.”
The last time a women’s Ashes series featured a day-night Test was 2017, when Ellyse Perry stroked a double century at North Sydney Oval.
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
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