Young Cheatle impressing in India

Teenage fast bowler Lauren Cheatle has just five T20Is to her name but the left-arm quick has already won plenty of fans, not least of all teammates and fellow quicks Ellyse Perry and Holly Ferling.

Cheatle showed poise and confidence well beyond her 17 years in the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars' opening World T20 match on Friday, taking the new ball and tying down South Africa early, before going on to take two wickets and finish with 2-13 from her four-over spell.

"You certainly wouldn't know she's 17 years old, the way she's carried herself so far," Perry said in Nagpur, where Australia are preparing for Monday's crucial match against New Zealand.

"She's so keen to learn and she's obviously done lot of work with Joe Dawes, our bowling coach, and I think that’s helped her a lot. 

"Having said that, she's got the kind of quiet confidence you need to succeed at this level and she backs herself.

"For Lauren to bowl as well as she did at such a young age in her first World Cup, speaks volumes for her and her incredible attitude and disposition at this level."

Right-arm quick Ferling is equally impressed with Cheatle, saying she showed experience well beyond her years in less than two months of international cricket.

"For her to come in and play way she did and really dominate with the ball up front, I don’t think you can ask much more of anyone, let alone someone who is 17 years old," Ferling told cricket.com.au.

"Over in New Zealand last month she showed experience beyond her years, like looking for a double-play run-out in case hers wasn’t given out."

With Cheatle in the process of completing her final year of high school in Bowral, life on tour in India is a juggling act between playing, training, recovery and homework.

It's a demanding workload for anyone, but Cheatle has found an understanding ally in Ferling, who was in an almost identical situation when playing for the Southern Stars in the one-day World Cup in India in 2013.

"Apart from Lauren, I'm still the young one in the squad by a few years compared to everyone else and I know what she's having to go through balancing year 12 with cricket, let alone with an international tour," Ferling, 20, said.

"We've got a fair bit in common. I was exactly one month younger when I came to India aged 17."

It's for this reason that Ferling has taken Cheatle under her wing in India.

"She's like my little sister on tour, actually.

"It's quite good. She's embracing India a little bit and I'm trying to get her to try a few more things, like Indian food.

"We're doing school work, watching a bit of Gossip Girl and I've got to help her out with her maths, so I'm glad I can help out there."