Middle-order flexibility Australia's prime focus ahead of T20 World Cup

Australia had capitalised on a strong foundation, led by skipper Aaron Finch and Steve Smith, in the first T20I against South Africa in Johannesburg, to finish with 196/6 while batting first. In the second game, in Port Elizabeth on Sunday, 23 February, they were well placed at 124/2 in the 16th over, while chasing 159. However, South Africa's brilliance at the death, and Australia's own poor execution with the bat, handed the visitors their first defeat in nine completed games.

The visitors had swapped the batting positions of keeper-batsman Alex Carey and Matthew Wade from the series opener, with the former being promoted to the two-down position. The move, however, backfired, as Carey, Mitchell Marsh and Wade collectively scored 21 off 20 between them, and each fell in the decisive phase of the game, as South Africa continued to fight their way back.

McDonald stated that the move to promote Carey was a well-thought one, given his skills against the slower bowlers.

"It was seen that [Tabraiz] Shamsi was in some way controlling the tempo of the game through the middle overs there, so that move was made," McDonald said. "The move only happens when you lose a wicket. Carey went in and the view was that he was the best player of spin in the middle overs to do that.

"We felt that was the right move at the right time, and Justin and Aaron pulled that move. Hindsight will tell you whether it was right or wrong."

McDonald justified the move further, stating that flexibility is the key to middle-order success, and hinted that the team management will continue to rejig the batting positions, barring those of Finch, David Warner and Steve Smith at the top.

"Justin [Langer] wants the players to be flexible," he said. "We're training them to be flexible, and most of the time, these guys have batted in all different situations and positions in the order. We feel as though we've got that flexibility, and probably the two that are locked in are Warner and Finch at the top, and I daresay Steve Smith will be unlikely to move. But we'll be flexible between four, five and six, and I don't think that'd be any different in Cape Town [for the third match of the series], depending on the situation."

The Victorian expects his players to get used to different game situations, especially while batting second, as they look ahead to the T20 World Cup at home later this year.

"I think exposure to those situations more often grows experience, and with experience comes the ability to execute. Today we didn't quite get that right. Clearly, batting second on a tiring surface is a totally different situation.

"They'll be no doubt better for that experience as we grow and build towards the T20 World Cup."