Tri-Series Final preview: More than a trophy at stake

The chance to gain a critical mental edge ahead of the T20 World Cup will be on offer when Australia and India meet in Wednesday's CommBank Tri-Series final in Melbourne.

Just eight days later, the teams will meet again, with the stakes to be much, much higher in the opening match of the ICC tournament at Sydney's Showgrounds Stadium.

Surprisingly, given Australia's No.1 ranking and recent success, India actually head into Wednesday's game at Junction Oval with the better record in recent contests between the two teams.

Harmanpreet Kaur's team inflicted Australia's only defeat of the last T20 World Cup in the West Indies, a 48-run group stage defeat in Guyana, while they also picked up a seven-wicket tri-series victory over the world's top-ranked team last Saturday.

But Australia will draw confidence from a dominant display with the ball when the sides met earlier in the series in Canberra, when Ellyse Perry and Tayla Vlaeminck fired to district India to 9-103.

"I enjoy facing the Indians, they're a fantastic outfit and they've done us a few times over the last little bit," Australia wicketkeeper-batter Alyssa Healy told cricket.com.au.

"So it would be nice for us to get out there and put a good performance on the board and show them what we've got."

While winning the tri-series would be a confidence booster for Australia, who have struggled to build momentum with two wins and two defeats from their four matches to date, they will also be wary of playing all their cards too early.

In the eyes of left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen, the most important thing for Australia will be improving on the areas that cost them in last Saturday's match, rather than focusing too much on next week's World Cup opener.

"This series has been about trying things and trying to work on different match-ups and combinations," Jonassen said.

"The main thing for us is making sure we can bounce back from the previous game against them, where we batted fairly well but we would have liked to have finished a bit better, and then we didn't bowl as well as we would have liked, either.

"Whatever game you play for your country, you go out to win but it is a good opportunity for people to try things and then, if you find yourself in a similar situation during the World Cup, you know you've practiced it in a game situation, not only in the nets."

Australia have used all but one of their 15-player squad throughout this tri-series, with allrounder Erin Burns – who has been recovering from knee surgery – the sole player yet to get a run.

But it appears likely the 32-year-old will play in some capacity come Wednesday, with three yet-to-be determined members of the Australian group to line up with the Cricket Australia XI as they take on England, who missed the tri-series final after finishing in third spot.

Cricket Australia announced a further nine players who will make up the CA XI on Tuesday afternoon, including Victoria off-spinner Molly Strano, who was on Tuesday named Domestic Player of the Year at the Australian Cricket Awards.

That clash kicks off at 9.30am AEDT, before Australia meet India at 1.40pm.

CA XI: Tahlia McGrath, Bridget Patterson, Heather Graham, Josie Dooley, Molly Strano, Charli Knott, Maitlan Brown, Taneale Peschel, Belinda Vakarewa, Tess Flintoff (three to be added).

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, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

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 & 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