Lanning and co provide refreshing change

During a dark week for Australian cricket, a bright beacon of light was shining in Mumbai.

Far from the controversy that bubbled over in South Africa, Australia's women were quietly but emphatically making history – and ensuring fans still have plenty to smile about.

On Saturday, Meg Lanning's T20 outfit posted the highest score in women's T20I history, a monstrous 4-209 against fierce rivals England in the tri-series final at Brabourne Stadium.

They then defended it with aplomb, adding the T20I tri-series trophy to the ODI silverware they claimed earlier in the month after whitewashing hosts India 3-0.

And there was probably no better way to illustrate up the spirit in which that series was played than in the scenes at Brabourne Stadium in the hour following the final: Australian and England players alike mixing with children from Mumbai's Sharanam girls' orphanage, playing games with their young fans and gifting pieces of playing kit.

Asked whether her pride in her team's results had been accentuated in light of events in South Africa, captain Lanning said:  "As a group we've been focusing on what we can do.

"The group has done that really well and we haven't worried about anything else, other than what we're doing, trying to play the style of cricket we want.

"It's pleasing we've been able to do that.

"It started with the one-day series and we've been able to carry that momentum into the 20-over matches and to finish off the series in this way, it's certainly shows where the group is at and hopefully it's just the start."

In one month on the subcontinent, Australia dropped just one match – a T20 to England last week – and reclaimed their place at the top of the ICC team rankings.

Megan Schutt became the first Australian, male or female, to take a T20I hat-trick.

Meg Lanning became the first Australian, male or female, to pass 2000 T20I runs. She'd already become the second-fastest woman to 3000 ODI runs earlier in the tour.

Alyssa Healy posted her first international century. Nicole Bolton, her fourth.

The Southern Stars currently boast world's top ODI batter (Ellyse Perry), ODI bowler (Jess Jonassen) and ODI allrounder (Perry, again) and their outstanding T20 series is likely to be reflected when those rankings are updated in the coming days.

Off the field, Lanning is also buoyed by the positive feeling within her playing group which included a first-timer in Sophie Molineux and returning faces in Nicola Carey and Naomi Stalenberg.

"We've loved our time over here in India," she said. "It's allowed us as a group to spend a lot of time together.

"It is the back end of our season and it's been one of the best tours I've been involved in.

"It's not just because we've been winning, it's been because we've enjoyed each other's company and I think India is a great place for that.

"We've been able to get out occasionally and experience the culture of India which is important and I think as a group we've really enjoyed it and that's showed in our performances as well."

Australia spearhead Schutt echoed that sentiment.

"It's shown in our performance that we're in a really good spot," Schutt noted. "We're gelling better than we ever have and hopefully that continues into the T20 World Cup (this November)."

That feel-good sentiment has also extended beyond the Australian camp.

Speaking after the final, England coach Mark Robinson took time to reflect on what has been a development series for his team in the absence of key players Katherine Brunt, Sarah Taylor and Anya Shrubsole, able to find plenty of positives not only for his team, but for the women's game in general after a record-breaking series.

"We've just played on unbelievable wickets all though the tournament, an incredible outfield which was absolutely rapid," Robinson said. "Full-sized boundaries, umpires of the highest quality. It's been an absolute pleasure to be a part of this tournament.

"We wanted to play more games as an England team and the experience we've been able to have here is fantastic.

"Our job is to bring new audiences in. Australia were absolutely outstanding today – the fielding, that partnership … that's how we learn. That's going to bring people in, if I was a young person I'd want to take up cricket.

"What you want is for the game to give the credit and respect to these fantastic female athletes I don't think previously always was the case."