Why ‘Mega Star’ Meg Lanning Is Not Playing The Ashes Test?

One of the most distinct features of the ongoing Women’s Ashes Test match is that this game, unlike most other Test matches in the women’s arena, is not a four dayer. It is a historic development in that for the first time ever in the history of Test cricket featuring England and Australia that a Test is going to feature five, not four days.

But that’s the exciting part. Maybe what isn’t quite is that a certain Meg Lanning is not a part of the ongoing proceedings.

That does suck, does it not?

But surely, what also adds to the trepidation and the sheer joy of witnessing two of the most powerful names in the women’s game is that a certain Ellyse Perry hasn’t taken all that while to leave an impact.

The ongoing contest at Nottingham saw the brilliant and evergreen all rounder compile a resourceful and valuable 99; it was distressing especially from an Aussie point of view that the magnificent Perry failed to reach her hundred.

But the key question that did a few rounds just ahead of the big England versus Australia contest was Meg Lanning not playing Test cricket.

Test Cricket, as we know it to be, happens to be the litmus test from which to gauge the true standing of a talent. And it is here in this arduous format where the great batting legend that is Meg Lanning has scored 345 runs from just 6 games, including a best score of 93.

Additionally, the famed right hander has two fifties to her name in Test match cricket. All of that great experience, familiarity with pressure and the ability to lock horns with an equally imposing opponent in the form of England, it ought to be said, is bound to impact Australia.

Or maybe it will not. Or, will it necessarily?

An Australia without Meg Lanning!

With much due respect to the legendary ‘Mega’ star of the game, Meg Lanning’s absence, apparently due to an unknown medical issue about which not an awful lot is known at present, may not hamper the proceedings all that much.

And that’s not only because the powerful Australian line-up already boasts of a magnificent troika of Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry and Alyssa Healy, the latter the current captain.

The fact that batting prodigee Phoebe Litchfield has just made her debut and is bound to offer much resistance with the bat in the other inning that’s to follow will hopefully add to Australia’s chances in the contest.

Is is worthwhile to quote from news.com.au about the subject of Phoebe Litchfield, who is all of 20 years of age:

“Litchfield, who made her NSW debut as a 16-year-old, has been limited mostly to 50-over and T20 cricket, with no multi-day cricket played in the Australian domestic women‘s game.”

But even that’s not all that makes the present looking Australian side a dominant and power packed force; the legendary unit in the women’s game, which has no parallels, is also powered by the presence of the tireless all rounder in the form of Tahlia McGrath.

Though these are but early days in the legendary Test bound to go on for four more days. But Australia, minus Meg Lanning, have already put on 328 runs on the board for the loss of 7 wickets with another 5 overs left to be played.

Wherever Meg Lanning may be watching the contest from, and it is expected that she’s resting at home, she would be proud- wouldn’t she?