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Rainy Ashes start has Knight desperate for change of luck

England's skipper has spent more time than she would have liked sitting around in rain delays on her past two trips to Australia as her side now looks to bounce back in this week's Ashes Test

Heather Knight is starting to wonder if she did something in a past life to anger the weather gods – at least those in Australia. 

Pressure is mounting on England in the battle for the Commonwealth Bank Ashes, as they go into this week's one-off Test trailing Australia 4-2.

After losing the opening T20I of the multi-format, points-based series by nine wickets on Thursday night, any hopes England had of striking back – or even getting themselves in front leading into the four-day game – were washed away when rain in Adelaide ruined the final two 20-over games.

Aussies take first-up points on back of McGrath magic

Australia's weather has been unkind to England on their last two visits. In March 2020, their T20 World Cup campaign came to a sudden end when their semi-final against India in Sydney was abandoned without a ball bowled.

And now, with the Ashes on the line, rain is currently forecast for all four days of the Test at Manuka Oval.

"Do you believe in karma? Maybe we've done something bad in the past that's coming to get us ... but there's not a lot we can do," Knight said on Sunday following the third T20I washout. 

"Danni Wyatt thought it might be global warming, but I'm not sure that's the case. 

"Luck is luck and I guess it's the same for both teams … hopefully all the bad weather has gone out of the system. 

"We'll look at the forecast when we get to Canberra and try and (fix) some of that karma – I think maybe I'll go a few food banks and do some (charitable) things there if COVID allows.

"But we're just going get on with it and try and make the most of it."

Jokes aside, Knight said she was encouraging her players to focus on the things they could control to avoid falling into a pit of frustration. 

"You can look at it two ways," she continued. "You can piss and moan about it and be frustrated and let it get to you, or you can try and accept that it's not in your control and just try and get on with it.

"I'm definitely encouraging the girls to take the second option because the first one's not going to help us at all."

To regain the Ashes from Australia, who have held them since 2015, England need to win the Test as well as two of the three ODIs, or win all three ODIs if the Test is drawn.

For Australia, a win in the Test will be enough to ensure the trophy remains in their keeping, or a win in one ODI if the Test is draw.

"With Test match cricket you've got to earn the right to be aggressive, so it's finding the right approach that we think is going to win us the game," Knight said. 

"We'll get down to Canberra on the charter with two days preparation, which obviously isn't ideal, but it's more about getting ready mentally as a group. 

"If we can get a win, that puts us in a really strong position going into the ODIs."

Knight revealed when the schedule was changed earlier this month to bring the T20s ahead of the Test, pace bowler Kate Cross and opening batter Lauren Winfield-Hill were instructed to continue their red-ball preparations, to give them a head start on the longest format.

"We identified that it's going to be pretty tough to get ready for that Test match with the T20s (coming first), so we identified a few players that we felt were not going to be involved in the T20 series but are key to our Test hopes," Knight said.

"The bowlers have been trying to keep their loads high as well, which is pretty tricky during the T20 series and whilst it's raining.

"We knew that things were going to be thrown at us and a lot of the preparation we did in that training block in Loughborough (prior to leaving England), was trying to be bombproof as a group and trying to adapt to anything that happened. 

"Because we knew a lot was to change with COVID, we didn't really consider the weather too much but that falls in the same category of things that might hit us and might throw us ... making sure we stay focused during unexpected events is something we talked about." 

Commonwealth Bank Women's Ashes v England

Australia Ashes squad: Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Hannah Darlington, Ashleigh Gardner, Grace Harris, Rachael Haynes (vc), Alyssa Healy, Jess Jonassen, Alana King, Meg Lanning (c), Tahlia McGrath, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland

England Ashes squad: Heather Knight (c), Tammy Beaumont, Maia Bouchier, Katherine Brunt, Kate Cross, Freya Davies, Charlie Dean, Sophia Dunkley, Sophie Ecclestone, Tash Farrant, Sarah Glenn, Amy Jones, Nat Sciver (vc), Anya Shrubsole, Mady Villiers, Lauren Winfield-Hill, Danni Wyatt

Australia lead the multi-format series 4-2

Jan 20: Australia won by nine wickets

Jan 22: No Result

Jan 23: Match Abandoned without a ball bowled

Jan 27-30: Test match, Manuka Oval, 10am AEDT, 

Feb 3: First ODI, Manuka Oval (D/N), 2.10pm AEDT

Feb 6: Second ODI, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT

Feb 8: Third ODI, Junction Oval, 10.05am AEDT