Head coach Andrew McDonald has backed his side’s play after they lost the second ODI of the Pakistan tour of Australia 2024.
The Australia suffered a 9 wicket defeat in the ODI series decider against Pakistan in Perth but no change to their on field approach despite a chastening defeat at Adelaide Oval.
Despite the absence of five star players for the final game of the three match series at Perth Stadium, Donald firm in the team’s approach to 50 over cricket with one ODI remaining before the ICC Champions Trophy tournament in Pakistan.
Pacers Lance Morris, Spencer Johnson and Xavier Bartlett will be considered for Sunday’s game, with fellow seamer Sean Abbott also set to return along with all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.
“We go to Perth with a clear plan, a clear method,” McDonald said after the loss in Adelaide. We’re committed to the style we want to play.
“The big thing about that is we’ve won 16 out of the last 19 games, and we’ve got some changing personnel within that but we believe in the style we want to play as a group.
“We weren’t at our best tonight, nowhere near our best. Pakistan controlled the game from the get-go and not enough runs to even think about putting pressure on.”
Head coach Andrew McDonald has come out in support of Australia’s top order after big loss to Pakistan #AUSvPAK
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— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) November 8, 2024
McDonald also heard criticism from some commentators that some of his batter are going too hard, too early in their innings, but not Australia’s shortfall today could be attributed more to Pakistan’s fast bowling than profligate stroke play.
“If you looked at the dismissals today there was some defensive strokes in that,” he said.
“It’s just finding that balance, and we’ve had great success with the style we want to play at the top of the order to make sure we’re putting pressure on opposition bowling units. Sometimes that can work, and over the journey so far it’s served us well.
“We’ve got some new personnel at the top as well … but I think Matt Short in England (earlier this year) showed he’s up to the task.
“He has hasn’t got off to the start he wants in this series, and Jake (Fraser McGurk) is not the finished article either.
“Everyone thinks he may be the finished article, but he’s going on a journey with his career and we believe he’s good enough to play at this level at this point in time. But clearly there’s always going to be some setbacks within that.”
McDonald pointed out several players of the ODI team have crucial Test campaigns against India and Sri lanka before the Champions Trophy. He added Australia were still looking for their best form going into last year’s ODI World Cup in India before lifting the trophy.
“It’s the nature of one-day cricket,” he said. “We didn’t have the greatest prep leading into the World Cup either, and a lot of the things you do tend to come together at the last minute leading into those world events.
“Clearly we’ve got to tune things up for Perth, we’ve been challenged in different ways and we have to respond.
“Yes we’re trying to connect between now and the Champions Trophy by having a look at certain things, but we’ve got a Test summer (against India) we’ve got to combat through then off to Sri Lanka with a great challenge there.”
With levelling the series 1-1, Australia will be playing the third and final ODI on November 10 at Optus Stadium.
