Learoyd problem solves her way through globetrotting off-season

Anika Learoyd is on a mission to perfect the art of problem solving on her first trip to the subcontinent.

Learoyd is currently in Chandigarh with the Australia A squad, continuing a globetrotting off-season for the 24-year-old batter.

The NSW and Sydney Thunder rising star also enjoyed her first taste of English conditions during a stint with Somerset during the southern winter.

Having never previously played outside of Australia, Learoyd's travels have provided invaluable insights as she continues to push her case for higher honours.

"New conditions will be a fun challenge, some probably quite spin-friendly decks, which I'm not very used to," Learoyd said of the 'A' tour when speaking to cricket.com.au ahead of her departure for India.

"I did a little bit of extra work to some spin (in preparation) because I'm anticipating that I'll be facing a fair bit of it over there – just trying to make sure I'm really sharp with my feet and know my options pending conditions and fields too.

"(I'm) looking at how I can up my scoring shots against spin.

"I think it's a really crucial part of the game and something we see a lot of through the middle period of 50-over games, so if I can up my skillset in that, and hopefully up my strike rate and scoring as well at the same time, that'd be huge towards setting up some big innings."

Learoyd has made an impressive start to the Australia A all-format tour of India, scoring 120 runs and only being dismissed once as the tourists swept the three T20 matches.

In the opening two games she scored 35no off 19 balls as Australia A chased their target of 118 in just 14 overs, with Tess Flintoff's 4-13 having earlier done the damage with the ball.

In the second match, Katie Mack set the tone for Australia A batting first, hammering 83no from 60 balls, with Learoyd helping put the icing on a match-winning total with her aggressive knock at No.4.

In the third, and final T20, Learoyd was the difference, crunching a match-defining 61 from 42 balls as part of a 100-run stand with Courtney Webb. Australia A held on by seven runs in the closest margin of the series.

Having spent the majority of her off-season playing, rather than going through the usual motions of a long preseason in Sydney's winter, Learoyd said she hoped to carry her momentum into the domestic summer.

She will miss NSW's opening two games of the Women's National Cricket League season due to her 'A' duties, but will be back in the lime green when the Thunder's T20 Spring Challenge campaign begins on October 12.

"I think there's been a whole lot of problem-solving aspects to what I've done in the last few months, in terms of different conditions, different bowlers, a few different scenarios," Learoyd said.

"I don't think any opportunity when you're faced with some obstacles that you've got to try and problem solve your way out of with the bat is a bad one.

"So I'm hoping that'll hold me in some good stead."

Before she travelled to India, Learoyd made her English county debut, playing under Australian coach Erin Osborne at Somerset.

During her nine-game stint in the one-day competition, she made a considerable impression, scoring 422 runs at 52.75 across her nine innings, including four half-centuries with a high score of 97.

Likewise in the T20 Blast, Learoyd hit 285 runs in 12 innings, averaging 41.55 at a strike rate of 131.22.

Her breakthrough T20 innings came against Yorkshire at Headingley, when she smashed an unbeaten 103 from 49 deliveries batting at No.3.

She reached triple figures in just 48 balls – the quickest hundred in the competition's history.

"I knew Oz was there as well as a fellow Aussie ... it was really cool to have that touch point, and I really enjoyed their season in terms of they just play so much more cricket than we do," Learoyd said.

"I think it's something that I would love to see incorporated in our seasons, and then to get the experience to play against a lot of different bowlers and in some unfamiliar conditions was a really cool learning curve as well."

Australia A tour of India 2026 – women

Australia A squad: Darcie Brown, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Milly Illingworth, Charli Knott, Anika Learoyd, Katie Mack, Lilly Mills, Frankie Nicklin, Hayley Silver-Holmes, Rachel Trenaman, Courtney Webb, Tahlia Wilson, Tayla Vlaeminck

First T20: Australia A won by six wickets

Second T20: Australia A won by 30 runs

Third T20: Australia A won by seven runs

First one-dayer: September 20, IS Bindra Stadium, 6:30pm AEST (D/N)

Second one-dayer: September 23, IS Bindra Stadium, 1:30pm AEST

Third one-dayer: September 25, IS Bindra Stadium, 6:30pm AEST (D/N)

Four-dayer: September 29 – October 2, Himachal Pradesh Stadium, 2pm AEST