Christchurch : Australia all-rounder Tahlia McGrath believes her unbeaten knock of 74 in the second ODI against India at Mackay last year was the reason behind the start of a wonderful season. Tahlia’s 74 was crucial in Australia and Beth Mooney in completing a dramatic one-wicket win over India after being 52/4.
“Looking back, it was probably the innings that started my whole summer. When I walked out to the crease I was strangely relaxed and just went about my business from ball one. Being able to go out there and play the way that I know that I’ve been capable of playing, that had a flow-on effect to my overall confidence for the rest of the whole Big Bash and Ashes. At the time, I probably didn’t realise the significance that it had on the rest of my season, but it was very important in the way that things played out,” Tahlia was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
Before the start of the 2021/22 Australian summer, Tahlia wasn’t an automatic starter in any format. But now ahead of the Women’s Cricket World Cup, Tahlia has impressed everyone with her batting exploits as well as her pace bowling across all formats apart from picking Player of the Series awards against India and in the Women’s Ashes.
Reflecting on her stupendous season till now, Tahlia remarked, “It’s been a crazy season. Loved every second of it and it’s been really nice to play some good cricket as a team and individually as well. I’m always someone that likes to set myself goals and my biggest motivator at the start of the season was making my way back into the teams. What happened from there has well and truly exceeded my expectations, I never would have imagined what has happened.”
Tahlia signed off by saying that being a part of 2022 World Cup was something she had set as a target two years ago. “This (World Cup) is a tournament that I flagged probably about two years ago that I was really wanting to be a part of. I think it’s my best format. I haven’t been part of a World Cup before, have been so close quite a few times, so this is one I’ve had in by diary for a while.”
–IANS