Quantcast

Skipper Healy satisfied after 'big picture' Bangladesh tour

Australia return home from Bangladesh with six wins from six matches and an abundance of intel for this year's T20 World Cup

Alyssa Healy says Australia are "doing a lot of things right" after wrapping up an undefeated tour of Bangladesh with another emphatic victory.

Australia return home with six comfortable wins from as many matches following their first visit to the nation in more than a decade, and more importantly, an abundance of intel ahead of the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this year.

"I think we're adapting really well, which is what we speak about a lot, whether it's with bat or ball, we want to adapt to conditions really quickly," Healy said after Australia wrapped up a 77-run win in the third and final T20I. 

"Everyone in the squad is taking something home that they can work on for when we come back here in September, so it's been hugely worthwhile for us.

"The results went our way but from a big picture perspective, and what we're building towards in September, October, I think we got everything we possibly could out of this series."

Sophie Molineux was named T20I player of the series // Getty

Perhaps the most satisfying part of the three-week trip was Tayla Vlaeminck and Sophie Molineux's successful returns to international white-ball cricket after lengthy injury lay-offs.

Molineux was named T20I player of the series on Thursday, and finished the tour having taken 11 wickets in five matches at 7.54.

Vlaeminck only featured in two T20Is, with Australian staff determined to carefully manage the injury-prone quick, but claimed a career-best 3-12 in the series finale.

The two Victorians now appear to be key pieces of the puzzle for Australia's hopes of claiming a fourth consecutive T20 World Cup title.

Tayla Vlaeminck made a successful return to Australian colours // Getty

"We've had different players of the match and different players of the series across the two series, so that's been really pleasing as well," Healy said. 

"Everybody's standing up and when they need to, and grabbing opportunities which is cool. 

"It's obviously great to have someone like Tay back, she's a real point of different within world cricket, and Soph Molineux's consistency is outstanding so they're both real attributes to our side."

The clean sweep in Dhaka came at the tail end of a demanding six-month period for Australia, which started against the West Indies in September, and also included WBBL|09, a month-long trip to India over Christmas, a home multi-format series against South Africa and – for the majority of the squad – three weeks in India for the WPL prior to their arrival in Bangladesh.

The Australian players boarded flights out of Dhaka on Thursday evening, and will now begin a period of annual leave, before ramping up their pre-season training in late May.

"We've got a very tired group, it's the end of our summer and we've played a lot of cricket over the last few months," Healy said.

"(But) the beauty of our schedule, we've got four months at home to get ourselves fit and firing and ready and we'll hopefully be fresh heading into that New Zealand series and the World Cup."

Australia's next international engagement is not until mid-September, when they will host New Zealand in three T20Is in Queensland prior to their departure for the World Cup. 

That will kickstart another busy summer for Healy's team, which will also include WBBL|10, a home ODI series against India, separate away ODI and T20 series against New Zealand and the multi-format Ashes.

"I think (we need to) just really nail our style of play and what exactly we want to do and everything else around it will take care of itself," Healy said. 

"We've got a great break now, our group is looking forward to going home and having a little bit of time off and a great opportunity to refresh and actually get ourselves right for the back end of the year, which is a huge summer for us."

CommBank Tour of Bangladesh

First ODI: Australia won by 118 runs

Second ODI: Australia won by six wickets

Third ODI: Australia won by eight wickets

First T20I: Australia won by 10 wickets

Second T20I: Australia won by 58 runs

Third T20I: Australia won by 77 runs

Australia squad: Alyssa Healy (c), Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Grace Harris, Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Tahlia McGrath (vc), Sophie Molineux, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Tayla Vlaeminck

Bangladesh squad: Nigar Sultana (c), Nahida Akter (vc), Fargana Hoque, Murshida Khatun, Sobhana Mostary, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Sultana Khatun, Fahima Khatun, Marufa Akter, Disha Biswas, Sumaiya Akter, Nishita Akter Nishi, Farzana Akter, Rabeya Khan