Rachael Haynes: India now has depth and nuance round choice to go together with its celebrity expertise

When India and Australia performed out a 781-run thriller within the deciding ODI of a three-match sequence in New Delhi a couple of weeks in the past, bearing witness within the commentary field was Rachael Haynes.

In some ways, life’s full circle was taking one other revolution for Haynes. She had been a part of the management group within the Australian facet which circled an already profitable workforce into an unbeatable monster.

Alongside Meg Lanning after which coach Matthew Mott, Haynes helped Australia get better from the frustration of the shock upset within the 2017 World Cup (by the hands of Harmanpreet Kaur and India) to go on to win the subsequent 4 World titles (2018, 2020 and 2023 T20 World Cups and the 2022 ODI showpiece) and a Commonwealth Video games gold medal to cement their place as the sport’s gold commonplace.

Minimize to 2025 and Haynes – a six-time World Cup winner – was watching alongside as this new standout worldwide rivalry pushed the boundaries of risk as soon as extra, forward of an eagerly awaited ODI World Cup no much less.

As Australia gears as much as defend its one-day crown, the 38-year-old – now on the helm of affairs for Sydney Sixers within the Huge Bash and WBBL – spoke to Sportstar in regards to the change in method to the format in 2017, the grind behind creating the Australian juggernaut, and what the eco-system can be taught from the Aussie approach of doing cricket.

ODI World Cup – Full Protection

Excerpts:

Q: How are you feeling about this Aussie facet as they get began within the World Cup this time?

By way of their aspirations for the World Cup, Australia is the primary facet on this format on the earth and has had a very respectable run forward of this match. They’re undoubtedly going to be there and thereabouts on the enterprise finish. The sequence they only performed in India towards India confirmed it’s not going to be simple for any workforce.

It’s a constructive factor that we’re strolling into this World Cup and there’s shut competitors between a lot of totally different sides. We’ve seen India have plenty of success just lately and beat some actually high-quality opponents in England and Australia. It’s going to be a unbelievable match.

Q: We now have to talk about that 2017 World Cup and what got here after. What do you keep in mind about that part now?

A: We didn’t attain the stage of the match that we’d have favored. We bought knocked out by India with Harmanpreet Kaur taking part in an unimaginable innings in that match. It compelled us to have that second of introspection on what was actually necessary for us as a facet, in regards to the type of play we wished to constantly convey to life. We considered how we might individually enhance our video games to then convey the workforce success, particularly below strain. That’s primarily the innings Harmanpreet performed. It was among the cleanest ball placing we had seen, and to handle that below that form of strain helps you be taught loads about your self.

We zeroed in on being fearless and noticed what that would appear to be for every participant. I couldn’t play the best way Alyssa Healy or Meg Lanning do, however there have been different strengths that I might convey to the squad. Placing the onus on the person galvanised the squad. We have been all invested in one another’s success and enchancment. We celebrated all these little milestones, and it introduced the group collectively in a approach that simply successful can’t.

It was actually a particular interval to be a part of and, pleasingly, it’s nice to see that form of workforce evolve once more and proceed to wish to push what’s attainable and get higher.

Q: Australia’s method to ODIs fully modified. How did that greater aggression come about?

A: Success leaves clues, proper? Folks take a look at what different persons are doing and replicate that. In the event you stand nonetheless as a participant or workforce, ultimately you can be caught up on. That is the inspiration of the Australian approach, and one of many strengths we’ve is the inspiration of our home competitions. It has matched as much as and skilled the gamers for the best way the sport goes internationally.

Australian gamers have a good time successful the ICC Girls‘s World Cup in 2022.
| Photograph Credit score:
AP

The truth is, with how more and more aggressive the batters are taking part in, how rather more they’re taking the sport on, you do have to have totally different layers to your recreation as a bowler. Likewise, as a batter, with bowlers having totally different plans that they will flip to, you’ve bought to just remember to have choices to show to when making an attempt to counteract.

The energy of our home system undoubtedly contributed to the success of our nationwide workforce. We’re seeing one thing comparable as effectively within the Indian setup, too, notably with the Girls’s Premier League, which is now three iterations outdated. We see home gamers gaining expertise and expertise below strain, extra importantly.

It’s no nice shock to me that groups like India now have extra depth of their lineup and may execute effectively in tense video games as a result of they’re going through these conditions extra continuously. Australia’s energy additionally comes from the truth that its ODI type and dominance by no means faltered, even within the T20 period.

Q: We’re seeing an enormous enhance within the variety of 300+ scores in ODIs now. Towards this, a recreation just like the third ODI between India and Australia the place 780+ runs have been scored, the place does it determine towards the tendencies within the recreation?

A: It is extremely revealing of the form of depth each squads have. Take a look at how Beth Mooney and Smriti Mandhana each approached their innings. Very fearless and attacking model of cricket was on present.

However to play in that method, it is advisable to trust in who’s to return after you. It’s actually onerous to have that attacking mindset should you’re apprehensive about getting out and never getting the runs you need the workforce to get. Each backed their pure recreation. In the event you watched Beth in that recreation, it felt like she didn’t hit the fielder even as soon as. Each time she performed a shot, it went by way of the hole. She was scoring runs at will. After which Smriti comes out, and it’s extra of the identical. She performed stunning photographs down the bottom and virtually toyed with the bowlers at will.

There’s extra of a T20 mindset coming into ODI cricket now. When circumstances enable, gamers are extra prepared now to throw warning to the wind and again their very own recreation and the depth their groups have.

Q: Bowlers get the uncooked finish of the deal, don’t they? Particularly with surfaces getting flatter, too. Is there a method to steadiness this?

A: Followers wish to see extra runs, don’t they? They get pleasure from it when runs are flowing and bounds are hit at common intervals. I do have a delicate spot for the bowlers, and I say this regardless of being a former opening bat who cherished to attain runs. I hope in some unspecified time in the future, there’s a larger contest between bat and ball, as a result of it falls too far in a single course. It may be disheartening for that group of gamers and for the era you’re making an attempt to encourage to return by way of as effectively. If folks see extra runs getting scored, they’re extra inclined to take up batting than bowling.

A constructive that comes with extra runs being scored is a larger degree of athleticism on the sector and the abilities bowlers now should counteract the excessive scoring charges. It’s all including to the spectacle.

Q: How onerous is a title defence? Australia has struggled typically to do consecutive titles, just like the three-peat that didn’t occur in 2024.

A: Event play is hard. The ODIs are an extended format in an extended match. You might want to discover the appropriate time the place you’re taking part in effectively, successful cricket however make sure you’re not peaking too early. You might want to construct momentum into the again finish of the match and hopefully into the finals.

It’s powerful to go back-to-back. I performed by way of a very profitable interval for Australia and contemplate myself fortunate. But it surely was not straightforward in any respect. We at all times felt, as an Australian facet, that individuals actually went onerous in desirous to and making an attempt to greatest us. So we needed to be at our greatest on a regular basis, because the opponent goes to throw the whole lot at us. It’s the identical story this time. It’s a problem for positive.

Q: Is India vs Australia the most important rivalry in worldwide cricket? It’s more and more throwing out some entertaining video games in World Cups.

A: I feel even in bilateral sequence as effectively…There’s at all times been a wholesome rivalry towards India. India has at all times been a facet that’s had celebrity expertise. The massive distinction now could be the squad has a lot extra depth and nuance round choice, match-ups, and people sorts of parts. That’s the element that issues once you’re going up towards sturdy opponents. I’ve actually loved watching that. It’s strengthened to me how invaluable a contest like WPL is to contributing to the success of the nationwide workforce for India as effectively.

Take into consideration gamers like Richa Ghosh, Jemimah Rodrigues, and see how a lot their recreation has advanced during the last two years. Not solely have they improved as people however India is getting higher as a workforce. Even watching Deepti Sharma extra just lately… Take a look at how she’s advanced with the bat. You’re not simply counting on Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur to have these unimaginable innings. There are a bunch of various gamers who can rise up at any second. That helps produce these shut matches with sides like Australia and as a cricket fan, I’m having fun with watching that.

Haynes feels Deepti Sharma contributions with the bat has helped ease the strain on Smiti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur.
| Photograph Credit score:
AFP

As a lot as I really like Australian cricket and I really like seeing us win video games, I feel that rivalry and shut competitors are necessary. From that 412 recreation, you see the variety of bowlers Australia deployed as a result of they prioritise all-rounders a lot. It’s a template India has been making an attempt to be taught from.

Q: As somebody now on the administration facet of issues and with teaching expertise too, how onerous is it to develop that pool of all-rounders?

A: All of it begins in our pathway programs. We encourage gamers to be multi-skilled and never simply form of concentrate on batting or bowling on the expense of anything. And fielding is an enormous precedence. It’s linked to athleticism and your skill to chop off runs, which is helpful on quick-scoring grounds, whatever the format.

The Australian workforce is at a spot the place these all-rounders are among the greatest gamers on the earth. It may not at all times be the case, however it definitely reveals the worth of getting all-rounders, notably in your prime six. You could have a lot flexibility in your facet, notably within the white ball codecs.

You might be very susceptible should you go right into a recreation with solely 5 bowlers. You want the whole lot to go effectively in your bowling group then, and if time has taught us one factor, it’s that it’s inevitable that an opposition batter could have an excellent day. So you will want choices that may tangibly contribute. So sure, we’re glad we’ve these all-rounders, and it has not come up accidentally.

Q: Similar applies for Australia’s tempo pool. The expertise is coming in steadily. What’s the system doing proper to make sure that? It’s one thing India is working in the direction of as effectively.

A: In Australia, circumstances most likely assist a bit as we’ve bought quick, bouncy wickets which encourage folks to wish to bowl quick. One other part is expertise ID and depth charts, and monitoring gamers by way of the system.

Austra;lian girls’s workforce gained the T20 World Cup three consecutuve instances between 2018 and 2023.
| Photograph Credit score:
Getty Pictures

We at all times discuss position fashions. Within the girls’s recreation, we’ve been fortunate to have gamers like Catherine Fitzpatrick and Ellyse Perry. We now have younger Darcy Brown for the time being. Making folks conscious of those gamers additionally goes a great distance in bringing in additional aspiring gamers. Take a look at India. You had Jhulan Goswami, and she or he was superb. Very tough to face as a batter. You must be purposeful and make sure you’re creating sufficient alternatives for abilities like that and people ability units to return by way of.

Q: With the World Cup increasing from the subsequent cycle, what can different nations do on the event entrance? World occasions typically really feel like they’re working in two tiers.

A: The massive factor that stands out is the distinction within the home constructions. The highest three nations are underpinned by stable home constructions. Boards are investing, and that’s actually necessary on the subject of growing expertise and establishing depth that then pushes up into the worldwide area and goes on to characterize these respective nations.

On this World Cup too, issues will probably be shut. That fourth slot within the semis is a difficult one to evaluate. You think about that possibly South Africa, New Zealand are competing for that. That mentioned, you’re underestimating your opponent should you step right into a world occasion considering that you’ll mechanically beat somebody or get by way of. Cricket might be fairly humbling at instances.

There are most likely off-field disparities within the ranges of funding however once you get on the sector, it comes right down to who performs on that day.

Q: What are your hopes for this World Cup for the game at giant?

A: I’m actually excited for this Indian facet that they get to play a house World Cup. I had the privilege of doing that extra just lately within the T20 World Cup in 2020. Happening to win the World Cup helped generate plenty of momentum for the ladies’s recreation and pleasure round it. I’m excited for India to have the chance to encourage a brand new era of gamers. I hope the match itself is a good success and helps lay the inspiration for the sport to proceed to evolve.

Time has proven that the sport will transfer forward. It’s for directors to make use of their time within the solar to take the sport ahead for themselves.

Printed on Oct 01, 2025