The world's best women's cricket team is set for a stern test in their T20 World Cup warm-up series
Aussies hungry for T20 World Cup hors d'oeuvre
Australia will get an early taste of the treatment they can expect to receive in the upcoming T20 World Cup when they meet England and India in Canberra this weekend.
As world number ones, defending champions and tournament hosts; it's the trifecta that ensures Australia will have a target firmly on their backs in every match through the World Cup, which begins on February 21.
Meg Lanning's team could not ask for a better way to prepare than this CommBank T20I Tri-Series, which will pit the three combatants against each other in six matches across two weekends, before a final on February 12.
Australia have lost just three T20Is since the start of 2018 – two of those to England and the other to India.
Captain Lanning is expecting both teams to throw everything at the hosts at Manuka Oval this weekend, starting with England on Saturday.
"In all our games against India and England in the past they've been really great contests, with high-quality cricket so we're expecting no different this time around," Lanning said in Canberra on Friday.
"We definitely want to win, I'm sure the other two sides would say the same thing.
"It's about finding the best form and the right combination."
England in particular have a point to prove after suffering a resounding Ashes defeat to Australia in the UK last July.
In three ODIs, one Test and three T20Is, England managed to register just a sole win across the multi-format series, one that came in the final T20 with the series long lost.
Armed with a new coach in Australian Lisa Keightley, Knight believes her new-look side carry no scars from that campaign.
"We've made a lot of changes since the Ashes," Knight said.
"We've really changed how we go about things as a side.
"We've taken more ownership as individuals in the team and we're really clear about how we want to go about things moving forward.
"Now we can see against two of the best teams in the world how we're going."
Coming from the depths of an English winter, England recently spent a week in La Manga, in the south of Spain, to train outdoors and bond with their new mentor ahead of their departure for Australia.
"That's about as warm as you get in Europe this time of year, but it was good to spend a week with (Keightley), get to know how she works, how the team works and how it's going to work going forward," Knight said.
India, meanwhile, are looking to bounce back after starting their tour with a five-wicket defeat to the Governor-General's XI in Sydney on Tuesday.
Boasting a potent top-order featuring the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma and captain Harmanpreet Kaur, there will be no holding back from the No.4 ranked team.
"We have quite a young side, only four or five players have experienced playing in Australia (before)," Kaur said.
"It's not easy to get used to the conditions and we weren't up to the mark (on Tuesday) but we're looking forward to the weekend."
England and India will kick off the tri-series in the opening game on Friday at 2pm AEDT.
CommBank T20I tri-series
Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), Erin Burns, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy (wk), Jess Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham
First T20I: January 31, India v England, Manuka Oval
Second T20I: February 1, Australia v England, Manuka Oval
Third T20I: February 2, Australia v India, Manuka Oval
Fourth T20I: February 7, India v England, Junction Oval
Fifth T20I: February 8, Australia v India
Sixth T20I: February 9, Australia v England
Final: February 12, Junction Oval
* All matches will be broadcast on the Seven Network and Fox Cricket, live stream on Kayo and the CA Live app or listen on ABC Grandstand
2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup
Warm-ups
February 15: Australia v West Indies, Allan Border Field
February 18: Australia v South Africa, Karen Rolton Oval
Tournament
February 21:Australia v India, Sydney Showgrounds
February 24: Australia v Sri Lanka, WACA Ground
February 27: Australia v Bangladesh, Manuka Oval
March 2: Australia v New Zealand, Junction Oval
March 5: Semi-final 1, SCG
March 5: Semi-final 2, SCG
March 8: Final, MCG
For a full list of all World Cup fixtures, click HERE
* All matches will be broadcast on Fox Cricket and Kayo, while Australia’s matches will also be broadcast on the Nine Network