While Australia is at the safe zone in the ongoing three-match T20I series by leading it 1-0 with one match is yet to be played, the Australian batsman Ben McDermott is confident that they are doing the right things and they can achieve another victory in this series.
After the four-run thrilling victory (DLS method) in the first T20I at Brisbane, the second T20I at Melbourne was washed out in rain. The third and final T20I of the series will be played on Sunday (November 25) at Sydney where India must have to win to square the series.
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Talking about their series winning opportunity, McDermott said after the second game, “It is not every day you have the opportunity to win a series for Australia (against a team like India). We’re doing the right things and we’ve got one win on the board, we just need that one more.”
In the Melbourne T20I, Australia managed to score 132/7 in 19 overs before the rain abandoned the game. The 23-year-old right-handed batsman Ben McDermott played the best knock in that innings of unbeaten 32 runs off 30 balls (2 fours and only six) while the other batsmen massively failed against the visiting bowlers.
Speaking on the washed out Melbourne T20I, McDermott said, “It was very frustrating especially with the rain following us around (in all T20 matches). We had set ourselves up nicely for the 19th over but we lost momentum with Jasprit Bumrah bowling the 18th over. But overall it was very frustrating night being on and off with rain.”
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Talking about the batting collapse in the Melbourne T20I, McDermott pointed out their poor powerplay batting as they scored 40/3 in the first six overs.
McDermott said, “Three down in the powerplay as opposed to one the other day made the difference. We saw at the Gabba we were 1 for 38, which isn’t a massive powerplay, but we only lost one wicket, so I think that was the main talking point. If we’re building a big total then we need to get those guys (Australian top-order) batting for longer periods of time. They’re some of the best batters in the world.”
After the poor powerplay batting, McDermott and Glenn Maxwell tried to recover that innings in the fifth wicket partnership but it only added 21 runs on the board.
McDermott said, “I just wanted to bat with Maxwell to start with and try to get him on strike as much as possible and I was struggling to do that early, which I wasn’t that pleased with. Losing wickets throughout the whole innings was tough. But I was happy I could contribute and get us to when we came back out it was 90 off 11, which is actually pretty good for us.”
McDermott also added that they were picking well the Indian left-arm chinaman Kuldeep Yadav in the second T20Iand hopeful for the better performance against him in the Sydney T20I.
The Aussie cricketer added, “We were picking him pretty well. I was struggling a bit early but started to pick him a bit better as my innings progressed, which is pretty normal. We just need to sharpen up on that and I think that’ll come with hopefully a nicer day and wicket (in Sydney).”
