Campbell's stellar show puts dream debut within reach

Sixers fast bowler Stella Campbell hopes her excellent display in Australia's one-day practice match against India is enough to earn her a maiden international cap in next week's ODI series in Mackay.

Campbell bowled with good pace and bounce to dismiss India bats Shafali Verma and Richa Ghosh in the early stages of Australia's bowling innings during their 36-run win, having replaced fellow teen tearaway Darcie Brown, who took the new ball with Ellyse Perry.

She then returned late in the afternoon to take a third wicket, knocking over Sneh Rana to round out a strong showing.

It was a performance made all the more impressive after she made an erratic start to Thursday's intra-squad hit-out, bowling a series of wides in her first over of match practice following a two-week quarantine period.

"I felt pretty good today," Campbell told cricket.com.au. "I felt like I had a good rhythm, I felt comfortable and relaxed in my processes, so I was able to go out there and do what I do best.

"The first bowl on Thursday probably wasn't my best but I was able to review that and come back today with good control and really nail my processes."

At 186cm, the 19-year-old is comfortably the tallest of Australia's exciting young pace brigade and that extra bounce will loom as an attractive point of difference in a line-up set to contain three or four right-arm pace options.

"It's pretty simple – I'm a tall fast bowler so they just want me to run in hard, bowl fast and be an intimidator," Campbell said of the role she has been handed in this Australian side.

"That's been my role (with the Sixers) for the past few seasons now so I feel like I'm really able to nail it.

"(An ODI debut) would be a dream come true, but I'm just here to enjoy the experience, learn and improve as much as I can. But if that was to happen, that would be a pretty cool opportunity."

Campbell faces stiff competition for a place in Australia's all-conquering ODI team, with allrounder Annabel Sutherland another leading chance to add to her nine international caps in the absence of veteran quick Megan Schutt (leave) and Victorian tearaway Tayla Vlaeminck, who is recovering from an Achilles issue she picked up shortly before the quarantine period.

Darcie Brown, Tahlia McGrath, Hannah Darlington and Maitlan Brown are all among the fast-bowling cartel desperate to stake their claims for a berth, while ODI regular Nicola Carey will continue to be assessed by support staff in the lead-up to Tuesday after suffering an abdominal strain in training.

CommBank Series v India

Australia squad: Meg Lanning (c), Rachael Haynes (vc), 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 Test and ODI squad: Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur (vc), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Punam Raut, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Yastika Bhatia, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey, Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh, Pooja Vastrakar, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Richa Ghosh, Ekta Bisht.

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.

Sep 21: First ODI, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay

Sep 24: Second ODI, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay (D/N)

Sep 26: Third ODI, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay

Sep 30 – Oct 3: Test match, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast (D/N)

Oct 7: First T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast

Oct 9: Second T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast

Oct 10: Third T20, Metricon Stadium, Gold Coast