Jonassen 'gutted' by tough South Africa Test call

Jess Jonassen says she was "gutted" to be left out of Australia’s XI for the one-off Test against South Africa in Perth, as the spinner heads off to the Women’s Premier League with a point to prove. 

But Australia captain Alyssa Healy insists this is far from the end for Jonassen, despite the Queenslander dropping out of the XI in all three formats in recent months. 

Jonassen was replaced by fellow left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux for the WACA Test, after the Victorian was recalled to the national squad after a two-and-a-half year absence due to several serious injuries. 

She was parachuted directly into the XI to play the Proteas, as Jonassen missed a Test due to selection and not injury for the first time since her debut in 2015.  

"I was and I still am pretty gutted," Jonassen told cricket.com.au in Brisbane on Saturday.  

"Any opportunity when you're in the squad, and having played the most recent Tests as well, I felt like I was ready to go.  

"It's one of those things that it can be quite brutal at the moment." 

Jonassen flew back to Brisbane from Perth on the first morning of the Test, and led Queensland in their final Women’s National Cricket League match of the season against Western Australia on Saturday. 

There, the 31-year-old issued a timely reminder to selectors, taking 4-6 from her five overs before steering Queensland to victory with an unbeaten 29 from 23 deliveries. 

"Having sat on the sidelines for the last couple of series, I was really excited to get out there today, and really pleased that I was able to get a few results individually, but more importantly (for Queensland)," Jonassen continued. 

"I've been working really hard and been training hard and I felt like I was in a really good place that whenever the opportunity if it did come my way, that I was ready and I guess I just proved that today." 

Jonassen will not be available to play in next Saturday’s WNCL final between Queensland and Tasmania, with the spinner due to fly to India to join the Delhi Capitals early next week. 

There, she said she hoped to make the most of regular game time – no doubt with an eye to Australia’s tour of Bangladesh in March, and the T20 World Cup in the same country in September. 

Jonassen was dropped from Australia’s T20I side during the October series against West Indies, and her last ODI was in Dublin last July. 

But speaking to reporters after Australia wrapped up an innings-and-284-run win over South Africa, Healy insisted Jonassen still had plenty to give in the green and gold. 

"I don't think it's anywhere near the end for JJ, I think she's still got an opportunity to play cricket for Australia," Healy said.  

"There's a lot of subcontinental cricket in the next 12 months with two World Cups in Bangladesh and India and I've played a lot of cricket with JJ and seen the way that she competes for Australia. 

"Every time you throw her the ball, you know she's going to get the job done.  

"It's probably just a really interesting period for her to go through, to go back and continue to prove herself and almost force her way back into the side, which I think she's going to absolutely love." 

Healy said the choice between Jonassen and Molineux for the Test came down to one simple difference between the two left-armers.  

"Adding Soph to the squad was probably from the outside looked an interesting decision knowing we've already got a left-arm spinner in the mix," she said.  

"Just the way that Soph has been playing and her all-around ability, they're both really similar, don't get me wrong, but I think Soph offers something really unique with her left-arm spin and the way that she can really turn the ball and get something out of the wicket."  

Women's CommBank T20I Series v South Africa

First T20: Australia won by eight wickets

Second T20: South Africa won by six wickets

Third T20: Australia win by five wickets

Women's CommBank ODI Series v South Africa

First ODI: Australia won by eight wickets

February 7: South Africa won by 84 runs

February 10: Australia won by 110 runs (DLS method)

Women's CommBank Test Match v South Africa

February 15-18: Only Test, WACA Ground, Perth 11.00am

Australia Test squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Darcie Brown, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

South Africa Test squad: Laura Wolvaardt, Anneke Bosch, Tazmin Brits, Nadine de Klerk, Mieke de Ridder, Ayanda Hlubi, Sinalo Jafta, Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Klaas, Suné Luus, Eliz-Mari Marx, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Chloé Tryon, Delmi Tucker