Hobart, February 28 – Uncapped teenage fast bowler Lucy Hamilton is nearing a potential international debut after being named in contention for the third and final One-Day International (ODI) of the series against India, as the Australian women's cricket team grapples with a growing list of injuries.
Currently, Australia holds a 6-4 advantage in the multi-format, points-based competition following a commanding victory at Bellerive Oval on Friday. A clean sweep of the ODI leg in Hobart would ensure they retain the series trophy ahead of the upcoming day-night Test in Perth.
Hamilton, a left-arm fast bowler, was added to the squad after injuries to Kim Garth and Ellyse Perry. She has been building her workload in preparation for the longer format and was seen putting in extended spells in the nets during Friday's match. Her inclusion has accelerated her exposure to the national setup, with selectors closely monitoring her readiness.
Australian selector Shawn Flegler confirmed that Hamilton is firmly in the mix for Sunday's clash. "That's one of the opportunities for us. We'll look at how things go today (in the second ODI) ... hopefully we get another win, and then that gives us an opportunity to have a look at Lucy possibly in game three,” Flegler was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
"Lucy's come in for the ODIs, and that's an opportunity for her to be around the squad a little earlier than originally planned. We'll see how today goes, and perhaps there's an opportunity for her on Sunday as well. We're looking forward to seeing what she can do within this Australian side; I think she's got a huge future ahead of her,” he added.
With the same pitch expected to be used again, conditions could increasingly favour spin, potentially opening the door for leg-spinner Georgia Wareham to return to the eleven. The hosts have already been forced into reshuffling their attack, with Nicola Carey stepping in after Sophie Molineux was ruled out of the remainder of the series due to a back injury. Carey marked her comeback ODI with a wicket but proved expensive, conceding 55 runs in eight overs.
Team management may also consider rotating key fast bowlers, including Darcie Brown, who has featured in every match so far, to manage workload ahead of the Test.
"The wicket's played really well so far; maybe it'll keep a little bit lower on Sunday if we play on the same wicket, it might turn a little bit more. We've also got Georgia Wareham champing at the bit to have a crack as well ... we've got a couple of options there,” Flegler said.
Australia are expected to further bolster their squad before the pink-ball Test at the WACA Ground, with injuries continuing to influence selection decisions.
"We'll work through that over the next 24 to 48 hours, but we'll certainly have to bring someone in,” Flegler added.
The team is scheduled to travel to Perth on Monday, allowing a brief window to recover and recalibrate as they aim to close out the series strongly while also preparing for the demands of the four-day contest.
