'Honest conversations' sparked Aussie batting blitz

Alyssa Healy says tough conversations among Australia’s top-order prompted their dramatic return to form against Bangladesh – and revealed the slice of luck she believes turned around her own recent poor run.

Wicketkeeper-batter Healy and opening partner Beth Mooney lashed the Bangladeshi bowling attack to all corners of Manuka Oval on Thursday evening, putting on an Australian record 151 for the first wicket.

A quickfire 22 from Ashleigh Gardner then put the finishing touches on a mammoth total of 1-189, setting up their side’s second win of the tournament.

The defending champions were always likely to outclass their ninth-ranked opponents, who they had never faced in any format prior to that Canberra match.

But the ruthless manner in which they took apart their rivals was in stark contrast to their shaky chase of 123 against Sri Lanka earlier in the week, where Australia’s campaign was on the brink at 3-10 before Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes performed the rescue job.

It was also in contrast to Australia’s failed pursuit of 133 against India last Friday despite Healy’s own half-century, where they lost 5-27 as leg-spinner Poonam Yadav ran rampant.

"As a batting group we spoke about not doing our job as well as we would have liked, so to be able to go out there and put a pretty decent score on the board on what was a fairly low and tricky wicket, in my opinion, was pretty great," Healy said following Thursday’s win.

"It’s part and parcel of being an elite sports team and being a really tight-knit group like we are.

"I think having those honest conversations aren't easy, but this team really seems to be quite good at it and is able to call stuff out when it's happening.

"To be able to sit down as a batting group and just identify some areas that we weren't doing great and where we could be better, I think that was great for the group."

Healy’s 83 from 53 deliveries against Bangladesh was particularly pleasing given her lean run heading into the tournament, which saw her score 24 runs in six innings – never once reaching double figures – across the tri-series and Australia’s only warm-up game.

"I think at some point I did question if I was doing the right thing," Healy said of her lean run.

"But at the same time, I was getting that reassurance from people that I was doing the right thing, and sometimes … you're not actually out there long enough to lose any form.

"I still felt like I was hitting the ball really well in the nets, but it was just finding the fielder or finding some really unlucky ways to get out."

The signs of a revival were there when she hit 51 against India in last Friday’s tournament opener, but as the 29-year-old revealed on Thursday, that innings could have panned out far differently if not for a critical moment in the opening overs of Australia’s chase.

"I think (my luck) turned against India in that first game," she said.

"I think I smashed one to the ‘keeper at some point and no one appealed.

"I think that was the moment where I thought, ‘maybe my luck has turned here’, and I can just ride the wave and go out there and play aggressively like I do and hopefully get my team into a position to win a game."

Healy faced unprecedented scrutiny from the media and fans during that lean run, thanks to the growing profile of the women’s game and the spotlight of a home World Cup.

It is the sort of attention the Australian team has not been placed under before, but Healy revealed she had sought to use it to her advantage.

"For me it was just a timely reminder that everybody really cares about this team and really want us to win and be there in that final," she said.

"I guess that's a nice feeling, and I just went out there and trained as hard as I possibly could to make sure that I could contribute for this team and hopefully achieve something really special in this country."

2020 ICC Women's T20 World Cup

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, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

February 21:India won by 17 runs

February 24: Australia won by five wickets

February 27: Australia won by 86 runs 

March 2: Australia v New Zealand, Junction Oval

March 5: Semi-final 1 & 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