Perth, March 5 (IANS) Australia captain Alyssa Healy says veteran allrounder Ellyse Perry is edging closer to fitness ahead of the upcoming day-night Test at the WACA, though the final call on her availability will be made closer to the match.
Perry has been racing the clock to recover from a quadriceps issue that threatened to rule her out of the pink-ball encounter against India. However, the 35-year-old’s progress in training this week has given the Australian camp optimism.
“We’ve got a very rough idea about what it’s going to look like. Obviously, Ellyse Perry is the key one, and we’ll just assess her as we go. She trained really well yesterday, so it’s looking really promising. For her to be able to take part in this series again (would be) huge – from all reports, it wasn’t exactly a straightforward niggle that she had, so her ability to get back up for this game is pretty remarkable. Playing Test cricket for us girls is few and far between at times. So I think she’ll be champing at the bit to get out there,” Healy told reporters in Perth of Australia’s likely XI.
Perry’s availability is expected to shape the balance of Australia’s lineup for the Test at the WACA Ground. If she is cleared to play, she will likely feature purely as a specialist batter rather than in her usual all-rounder role.
Should she miss out, Australia may hand a debut to Tasmania batter Rachel Trenaman, who has been prolific in domestic cricket. Alternatively, the side could adjust its deep batting order to accommodate an additional bowling option.
“I daresay there’ll be a debutant, so we’ll have to wait and see who that will be. I think the line-up will look pretty similar to what the Ashes Test was last year, so I’ll probably slot down in the middle-order, but (that depends) on balance, and probably Pez’s is availability. Trenno’s has made a bulk of runs in domestic cricket and would be a perfect slide in for Ellyse Perry if she doesn’t get up,” Healy said.
Healy added that even if Perry plays solely as a batter, Australia still has enough bowling depth through all-rounders such as Tahlia McGrath and Annabel Sutherland.
“We’ve got so many options with the ball in hand that fill a role there, and then people are asking for more opportunities with the ball, so we won’t struggle in that department,” she said.
Conditions at the WACA could also influence Australia’s final XI. The pitch has a noticeable covering of grass, while temperatures are forecast to reach 37°C during the opening days of the match. Healy acknowledged the temptation of selecting three specialist quicks but suggested it may not be the most likely option.
“(The pitch) has got a thick coverage of grass, so no doubt it might be a little bit spongy on day one, and probably get quite dry and flat as the days go on. I would love to see that unfold, (three quicks) ripping in with a new ball … but we’ll wait and see what conditions present. We talk about the pace and bounce, but I think someone like Alana King is going to be a real tricky prospect out here,” she said.
“We’ll have a better look at the wicket today, just knowing the heat and probably what it’s going to be like over the next four days … I think spin might actually come into play at this ground, in particular, in the women’s game,” Healy concluded.
–IANS
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