Australia’s cricket team had a tough time in South Africa, losing three matches in a row. But as they started practicing in India for the World Cup, things were looking better.
Some of the Australian players were dealing with injuries because the tournament preparation had been long. They found a quiet place to practice in Mohali, away from the noisy cities of India. Captain Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc were there, working hard.
The best news was seeing Steve Smith practice for a long time. Australia had been struggling in the middle of their batting lineup in one-day matches. They were getting out too early. In fact, no team playing in this World Cup had been bowled out faster than Australia in their last few matches. But strangely, Australia also had the highest score rate during the early overs of the game.
Australia’s coach, Andrew McDonald, said they needed to find a balance. They couldn’t afford to lose too many wickets early in the game. Smith, who had been injured, was now back, and his practice session was a positive sign.
Marnus Labuschagne was also doing well, and he and Smith had been Australia’s best middle-order batsmen recently. Other players like Alex Carey and David Warner were contributing, but not consistently.
The team was looking to improve, and they might include Labuschagne and Smith together in the squad for the World Cup. Smith had recovered from his injury, and he felt good after the practice session.
So, Australia was working hard to fix their batting problems and get ready for the World Cup in India.