Australia Tweaks Pre-Game Routine

Australia has scrapped the pre-match activity that nearly sidelined Ashleigh Gardner from the T20 World Cup, as the all-rounder urged her teammates to step up in the third T20I against New Zealand in Brisbane on Tuesday.

Gardner missed the series opener in Mackay after colliding with teammate Georgia Wareham while attempting to catch a soft “Vortex” ball during a warm-up drill. Initially brushing off the incident, Gardner later left the field in tears, worried about a potential concussion—her eighth in her career. Although she was ruled out of that game, Gardner was cleared to return and starred in Sunday’s match, claiming 3 for 16 to help secure Australia’s 29-run victory over New Zealand.

Having consulted a neuropsychologist in 2018 following four concussions in a 20-month span, Gardner is familiar with managing head injuries. Reflecting on the incident, she said it was strange to process but expressed relief at feeling good in recent days. Gardner added that, with her history of head knocks, she can recognize when she’s concussed.

The “Vortex” ball, however, was absent from Sunday’s pre-game routine. Gardner confirmed that the team had made adjustments, saying, "That’s the end of the Vortex for the rest of the tour."

Looking ahead, captain Alyssa Healy changed the usual strategy by choosing to bat first in Sunday’s game, aiming to prepare the team for setting a pace ahead of next month's World Cup defence in Dubai. Healy gave Australia a fast start with a quickfire 38 off 25, but a collapse saw Australia lose their last seven wickets for 28 runs, as Amelia Kerr recorded career-best figures of 4 for 20. Despite this, a total of 142 was more than enough, thanks to a disciplined bowling performance.

Gardner is eager to see improvement in Tuesday’s final match before the team heads to the UAE, hoping they can put up a more substantial total if they bat first. She highlighted that there are no excuses, pointing to Australia’s deep batting lineup, which saw Annabel Sutherland come in at number eight.

“Sutherland at eight is pretty ridiculous,” Gardner remarked, adding that while the team will face unknown conditions in Dubai, they are confident they can defend totals like 140 due to their strong bowling unit. She praised the team’s all-around skill, describing the performance as "pretty clinical."