New Australian T20 approach faces its toughest test against India

A concession Australia’s approach to T20 had failed to evolve after the 2021 World Cup win forced a “shift” that has resulted in big-hitting wins and a run of victories that have raised hopes of a triumph in next February’s tournament in India and Sri Lanka.

But the sternest test of the “more aggressive” dynamic comes against reigning champs India across the next 10 days, and coach Andrew McDonald thinks the five-match series could provide the perfect launching pad for another World Cup win.

Batting order tweaks that have included elevating bomb-hitter Tim David higher up the order and including the likes of Mitch Owen with a focus on boundaries above all has netted 10 wins from the past 11 T20 internationals for the Aussies.

That has included series wins over West Indies, South Africa and New Zealand this year and now the Indian test awaits.

“There has been a shift,” McDonald said ahead of Wednesday’s opening clash in Canberra.

“We’re 11 games in now from the initial conversation. When we set out on this journey, we’d failed in a couple of World Cups previously, so we wanted to shift and stretch the boundaries on what we thought we could do.

“We have been more aggressive, we’ve played people in different positions. Tim David has batted a little bit higher than previously.

“Our admission was that we haven’t been successful in a couple of campaigns. We’ve got to change things up. We’ve got to stretch ourselves.

“Is it the style that can win a World Cup? We believe so. Will we have to pivot and nuance it slightly, depending on whether we’re in Colombo or Delhi or Kolkata? There’s no doubt about that.”

The Indian style is similar, with a new and emerging crop of attacking players filling the void left by icons like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and McDonald knows they loom as the ultimate test.

“You’re playing against India, so it’s a really good test on whether this style will hold up,” he said.

“They’re the No.1-ranked team in the world, I think we’re No.2. We’re excited to test ourselves against the best.

“Those younger players that have got some opportunity, what better opportunity than to play against the best team in the world and stand up in that environment.”

The Australians are also looking different from a bowling perspective, with no Mitch Starc or Pat Cummins, and the possibility young tearaway Mahli Beardman could get his crack at pushing for a World Cup berth.

Rather than being daunted by what he doesn’t have, McDonald said he was “excited” to see what was coming through.

“We’re gathering information around what that next crop will be. We’ve been so stable with Starc, Cummins, Hazelwood in white-ball formats,” he said.

“So to see (Nathan) Ellis shape as a frontline bowler, how we use him, to see Xavier Bartlett, Sean Abbott now gets a little bit more runway in terms of pressing his claims as well, then Mahli Beardman joining us in the middle of this series is exciting.

“We’re excited by that next crop.”