22 February - Cape Town - Australia Captain Meg Lanning pre-match press conference
[Reporter]
Do you have a full squad for 15 to pick from tomorrow? And do you know who the 11 will be?
[Meg Lanning]
Yeah, we've got a full squad. Alissa Healy is fit and available, which is great for us. She's had a great tournament so far and, is going to play an important role. So that's nice, but it does make it pretty difficult to get it down to 11. And we've only just arrived and seen the conditions here. So, we haven't settled on what the team looks like yet, but it is nice to have everybody available.
[Reporter]
And you've played India a lot recently. Is that an advantage or a disadvantage?
[Meg Lanning]
I'm not sure, to be honest. We obviously both know each other very well. They're an incredible side. They've got some match winners and world-class players and it's going to be a cracking game. And we can't wait. Obviously, we came here to be part of a game like this and we're expecting to have to play at our best to win. And that's something that I know this group is up for and we're certainly very much looking forward to it.
[Reporter]
You've used a lot of bowlers in this particular tournament. So, is this a change in trend where you're trying to use as many as you can? What is the thought process behind that?
[Meg Lanning]
It sort of just comes down to what happens on the day, to be honest. We're very blessed in terms of the number of options that we've got, and sometimes that can make it easier and sometimes that can make it harder, depending on what happens. But yeah, for me as captain, it's great to have, to be able to call on different people and everybody who's had a role to play has come into it and done well. But it really just comes down to the conditions and the batters that are in at the time and what I feel like is going to work best. So, there's no real plan in terms of using more bowlers. It's just sort of the way it's gone.
[Reporter]
Whether it's the 2020 World Cup or the CWG, both in the finals and the knockout games, Australia have got better of the India in the knockouts. Do you think that's any kind of psychological edge or any kind of that in that aspect?
[Meg Lanning]
I don't think so. Both teams start at the same level tomorrow when we come out and play. What's happened in the past doesn't make a difference. We need to come out and play our best cricket and play the way that we want to. And in India, we look to do the same. So, as I said, it's going to be an incredible game, two world-class teams going at it. And it's about putting out your best performance on the day.
[Reporter]
Meg, I guess beyond that, a lot of people talk about the depth, of course, and that lots of players can put their hands up. How much of a factor is it when you come to these knockout games that you've played so many of them and being able to avoid panic and stay calm? Like, is that a really major part of Australia's success over the past few years? And how do you maintain that?
[Meg Lanning]
Yeah, I do feel as though as a group, we are very calm and we know that teams are going to come pretty hard at this and they have done over the last few years, and just to be able to absorb some pressure, I think is really important. You're not going to have it all your own way. There's so many good teams out there now that there's going to be times when they have the momentum. But that's the nature of T20 cricket in particular. And for us, it's just about staying calm in those moments, being really clear on what our plans are and trusting our ability as well. And that's something I think we do really well. We back ourselves in and know the style that we want to play. And sometimes it comes off individuals and sometimes it doesn't. But we know everybody in the team is playing the same way. And you spoke about the depth and that does give us a lot of confidence as players going out there, knowing the strength that we've got and just trying to utilise that as best we can. So - big games, there's key moments that come up and I think tomorrow will be no different. And I feel like we're in a really good spot to be able to stay nice and calm and composed in those moments and hopefully get the job done.
[Reporter]
Just wanted to ask you about Elyse, if I could. I mean, you've obviously played together a lot since you were kids. The fact that she's come back into the side, she seems to have worked on her strike rate early in the innings as well. Just how have you seen, I guess, the latest incarnation of Elyse and how she's been able to force her way back in when there are so many talented young all-rounders in the side?
[Meg Lanning]
Yeah, it's been great to watch. She's an incredible player and has been over a long period of time and in a lot of ways led the way in the women's game. And she has had to sort of find some new ways to develop herself and she's absolutely done that. And she's a very important player for us in these types of games. I think she's always had the ability to hit the ball hard and as long as sort of anyone in world cricket. And she seems to have been able to unlock the freedom, I guess, to go out there and play and play her shots a bit earlier than what she has in the past. And just watching her do that is really exciting for the group because we know how good a player she is and just to have another person come in with great experience as well. She's obviously played so much cricket that depth and just sort of a really good head around the group I think makes a really big difference. So yeah, she's been great to watch over the last six months in particular. And yeah, I think she'll have a big impact on these couple of games.
[Reporter]
Given you've spoken a lot about and even Beth Mooney said yesterday that the two teams know each other so well, there's very little unexpected that you can expect from this. But the 2017 ODI World Cup semi-final did throw an unexpected in the form of 171 not out. With regards to tomorrow's game, do you think there are any unexpected elements that you could face in the form of individuals or as a collective from the Indian side?
[Meg Lanning]
Oh, well, it's T20 cricket. I feel like anything can happen. And we understand that pretty well. But we're as planned as we can be in terms of their individuals and their sort of team style of play. But you can't predict what's going to happen. So, we need to be able to adapt and sort of play what's in front of us. I think that's really important in coming with all the plans that you want. But if you're not able to adapt at the time and change with sort of what's happening, then I think that's when you get into trouble. So, we feel like we're in a good position to be able to do that if we need to. But yeah, as I said, T20 cricket can change very, very quickly. And we know that and we know that we have to be on our game for the whole 40 overs. So that's the challenge that we've got because we know India are a great team. And if we don't bring that, then they'll certainly be allowed to play some good cricket. So, we're excited about the challenge. I think that's what semi-final is all about, playing your best cricket at the right time.
[Reporter]
Something about yourself, how's the lap shot coming along? Not very well going by how it fanned out at the nets. Is that something you've been trying and groaning in anguish about a lot?
[Meg Lanning]
Yeah, I don't know. It's going fine. Obviously, it didn't work out the other day. But I've played plenty of cover drives as well. And they haven't worked out too well either. So that's the nature of the game. You play some shots, some work, some don't. I'm not too worried about it. We'll see what happens.
[Reporter]
And it's a semi-final. Meg Lanning performs amazingly well in World Cup knockouts. What are your expectations of Meg Lanning the batter in what is her big game and has usually been so in World Cup knockouts?
[Meg Lanning]
I'm looking to contribute to a win. When I go out there with the bat, my job is to score runs and do what the team needs. And I feel like my preparation is been good. I feel like I'm hitting the ball well. And I'm looking forward to going out there and playing against, as we've said, a really great Indian side who are playing well as well. So, I can't wait to get out there.
[Reporter]
I just wanted to ask about your honest assessment about this Indian team. What has impressed you the most about this Indian team in this T20 World Cup?
[Meg Lanning]
Oh, I think that they've shown that they're not relying on one or two players. They've got some great depth as well. So, for us as a team, we've had to prepare for all their players to do well. And I think when you get to that point as a squad, you know you're going to be in most games because T20 cricket, some things work out, some things don't. And sometimes it's not going to be your day. But as long as someone steps up, then that's the most important thing. And that's what they've shown to be able to do. They've really created that real strong group of players who have played a lot of cricket together now. And they're able to deliver. So, we know they're strong. And that sort of just makes the challenge even greater and something we look forward to.
[Reporter]
Final one from me. As a captain of the Australian team, what do you think are the biggest areas of strength for the Indian team?
[Meg Lanning]
Well, they obviously bowl a lot of spin with the ball. And they've got some good variety within their attack as well. So that just sort of keeps you on your game as a batter, making sure you're adapting really quickly. And I just think that they're overall match winners. You know, they've got players who can take the game away from you very quickly in the space of a number of overs. So we're very aware of that and we'll look to try and counter that as much as we can.
[Reporter]
As you just said, anything can happen in T20 cricket, but most of the fans worldwide, they believe that the Australian team has like made this format boring. They keep winning. They are expected to win and they have been winning. So, unless and until Australia loses in a knockout game, World Cup won't come alive. Your thoughts on that?
[Meg Lanning]
Oh, well, that's certainly not the way that we're looking at it. We're very aware of the challenge that we've got ahead of us. And semi-finals in particular are extremely hard to win. You have to play your best cricket and we know that we have to do that to win. So, as I said before, we both start at the same level tomorrow. It doesn't matter what's happened previously in this tournament or previous games. It's about what happens on the park tomorrow. And yeah, we feel like if we play our best cricket, that will give us a really good chance to win.
[Reporter]
My final question, the Australian men's team is struggling in India. So, there is fans are talking about some sort of revenge when you guys take Indian women's team.
[Meg Lanning]
Oh, look, we haven't spoken about that at all. The men's team are obviously doing their best trying to prepare and play as well as they can. And we're fully supportive of them. And hopefully in those last two test matches over there, they can play some good cricket and get some good results.
[Reporter]
Hey Meg, obviously we've seen the team kind of be able to really restrict the run rate in the last couple of matches, but not quite take the early wickets you probably would have liked in the power play. How early is it going to, how important is it going to be to strike early with the likes of Smriti and Shefali up the top of the order for India?
[Meg Lanning]
Yeah, that's absolutely a focus for us. I think any T20 game that you play, if you can get some early wickets, that puts pressure on the opposition. So, we'll certainly have some plans in place to try and do that. Smriti and Verma are obviously key players for them who we’ve spoken about a little bit, but can take the game away from you very quickly. So yeah, we're planned and we'll certainly be trying to take early wickets because we know in T20 cricket that can make a massive difference.
