The perfect name for the Australia-India trophy

The fascinating contest between Australia and India is evenly poised heading into the T20 leg starting tonight with both teams still in a position to win the Goswami-Fitzpatrick Trophy, which is what makes this multi-format series so good.

Yes, I've taken the liberty of calling it the Goswami-Fitzpatrick Trophy. My theory is perhaps if we all just start calling it that, it will happen! And it would be really cool if the powers-that-be came to a decision on naming the trophy by the end of the T20s.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love the romance of cricket and this would be a fitting accolade for two of the great players. And one of them has again showed her class on this tour and may never play in the series again.

Let's start with the many reasons why it would be so appropriate to name it after these two legendary bowlers.

Firstly, both Jhulan Goswami and Cathryn Fitzpatrick played all three formats that make up this series and their records in each speak for themselves. Goswami with 12 Tests, 192 ODIs and 68 T20Is and Fitzpatrick with 13 Tests, 109 ODIs and 2 T20Is to her name.

If you look at those numbers in isolation, most would say it's a lot of games. But then consider how little women's cricketers played during the early stages of their careers, when a series each year would have been the norm, and this number becomes even more significant.

Then reflect on the changes in the game since these two players debuted in 2002 (Goswami) and 1991 (Fitzpatrick), including the professionalisation that has taken our sport to another level.

If you did the sums on how many tours these two players went on and would have paid for out of their own pocket, it would make you realise why they needed full-time jobs to support themselves. And perhaps why they should be given trophies, not just have one named after them.

Then there is their dominance of the sport. They both did that, collectively taking 580 international wickets, which is a staggering number.

 

But they didn't just take wickets for fun. They were so dominant that runs were incredibly hard to come by, with both players boasting an economy rate of just a touch over three runs an over in ODI cricket.

They led their attacks, albeit very differently. Goswami, with her height, gets great pace and bounce and that awkward length has been a feature over her career, leaving batters parked on the back foot. Fitzpatrick bowled rapid, the ball skidded on to you before you could move and she had the presence (some may call it intimidation) that dreams are made of. She was feared, and I say that as the absolute compliment.

And finally, the contribution they have made to generations of fast bowlers who have come through their respective pathways is immense. Over such long careers, many bowlers would have debuted for both India and Australia and had the chance to learn from the very best.

Fitzpatrick's impact has come not only as a player but also a coach, having led Australia's national team and been a part of the coaching staff of the National Performance Squad (NPS). To be a young quick and be coached by one of the greatest fast bowlers the game has seen must have been an incredible experience.

One of the most exciting young fast bowlers is Tayla Vlaeminck, who is fit to play in the T20s, starting tonight. Her resilience through a horror run of injuries makes her an admired figure in any squad and I've had the privilege of seeing this firsthand. Her commitment to rehab and the ability to do it with a smile on her face is pretty special – and then you remember how young she is.

It's the competitive drive that I respect so much in her. She would want to beat you even in a modified cardio session. It brings out the best in people around her, which is especially important during the challenging time of being sidelined by injury.

It's exciting that she is fit to play because she bowls rapid and that is an important ingredient to this Australian team. But for me, I've got admiration for a player who has earned the right to be out there representing her country. She is someone you want on your team and we all want to see that cheeky smile after another rapid bouncer.

Finally, I can't go without mentioning a very special milestone that is coming up. Ellyse Perry will potentially pass Alex Blackwell as the most-capped Australian woman of all time during the T20s, needing two more games to pass the record of 251.

Both Blackwell and Perry have seen so much change in the sport, from the level of professionalism to the styles of play and formats of the game. And what both players have done so well is evolve their games to meet all this change and it would be hard to find two people I respect more than Blackwell and Perry.

Ellyse is one of the most disciplined, committed, durable and passionate players I've ever seen. For a fast bowler to develop into one of the greatest allrounders the game has seen – and the workload and pressure that comes with that – and then become the team's most-capped player is an incredible feat.

What is scary is how many games she will end up with and it begs the question; will anyone reach the Perry record? I doubt it!

India will need to start well in the T20 leg of the Goswami-Fitzpatrick Trophy if they are to give themselves a chance of winning the series, otherwise all momentum will be with Australia in a format they love and have had so much success.

Let's get #GoswamiFitzpatrickTrophy trending!

CommBank Series v India

Australia lead India 6-4 on points

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Darcie Brown, Maitlan Brown, Stella Campbell, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Georgia Redmayne, Molly Strano, Annabel Sutherland, Tayla Vlaeminck, Georgia Wareham

India T20I squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Shikha Pandey, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh (wk), Harleen Deol, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Renuka Singh.

First ODI:Australia won by nine wickets

Second ODI: Australia won by five wickets

Third ODI: India won by two wickets

One-off Test: Match drawn

Oct 7: First T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast

Oct 9: Second T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast

Oct 10: Third T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast