Aussies' middle order might puts world on notice

Australia's pre-Christmas trip to India saw them stamp their authority on the T20 game with a 4-1 series victory over their fiercest opponent in the format, away from home and missing a host of stars.

But there was one facet of Australia's game in particular that could trigger nightmares for their rivals ahead of February's T20 World Cup: their new-look middle order.

The powers of Grace Harris and Ashleigh Gardner combined in a 129-run fifth-wicket partnership off just 10.2 overs in Tuesday's fifth T20, a display of aggression that topped the 118 off the last 10 they had scored in conjunction with Ellyse Perry a game earlier.

When Harris, who hit 62no off 35 balls, joined Gardner – who struck an unbeaten 66 off 32 of her own – in the middle in the series finale, Australia were 4-67 after 9.4 overs.

Gardner and Harris had first signalled their potency as a middle-order combination during the Commonwealth Games, when they rescued Australia from 5-49 against India with a 51-run stand in 5.4 overs.

Harris made her T20I debut against Ireland in mid-2015, a month before she turned 22, but injury and form – and the emergence of Gardner – conspired to see the Queenslander fall away from the national side.

For an extended period, Gardner's presence in the Australian XI had played a significant role in keeping Harris out of it, given their similarities as powerful allrounders who bat right-handed and bowl off-spin.

The latter only returned at the start of this year when Beth Mooney fractured her jaw days out from the start of the Ashes – but she, and Australia, have not looked back, with Harris named in every XI since.

The 29-year-old finished the series with scores of 41, 27no and 64no from three innings, a total of 132 runs at a ridiculous strike rate of 203.07.

"Grace has been so destructive back home for so many years now and it's really good to be able to see her reap the rewards out there in international cricket now," Heather Graham said following Australia's 54-run win.

Gardner meanwhile was outstanding with both bat and ball throughout the tour of India, taking seven wickets alongside the 115 runs she scored at 166.67.

Add to that the newfound aggression of Perry, who hit back-to-back half-centuries and finished the tour with 165 runs at 160 – and the fact Annabel Sutherland only batted once and Heather Graham not at all – and Australia's middle-order depth becomes even more imposing.

"I've bowled a lot against Grace, especially back home in Australia in the WBBL and WNCL and I know for a fact, when she's on a mission like that there's absolutely no stopping her and it's really hard to bowl to her," Graham continued.

"I'm really glad that I'm on her team for once.

"It's the same with Ash Gardner as well.

"I think the way that those two can change a game in an over, it's an incredible ability that they both have and to be able to have those two both out there and doing that basically at the same time, it was quite enjoyable to watch."

Australia's T20I tour of India 

1st T20I: Australia won by 9 wickets

2nd T20I: Match tied (India won the Super Over)

3rd T20I: Australia won by 21 runs

4th T20I: Australia won by seven runs

5th T20I: Australia won by 54 runs

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Tahlia McGrath (vc), Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Heather Graham, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Amanda-Jade Wellington

India squad: Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Smriti Mandhana (vc), Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Radha Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Renuka Singh Thakur, Meghna Singh, Anjali Sarvani, Devika Vaidya, S Meghana, Richa Ghosh, Harleen Deol