Stand-in Captain Tahlia McGrath Unsure of Batting Position Ahead of Bangladesh ODIs

Australia stand-in captain Tahlia McGrath is heading into the three-match ODI series against Bangladesh with renewed confidence after returning to form, although she remains uncertain about where she will bat.

The series begins in Brisbane on Friday, with McGrath taking charge of the Australian side in the absence of Sophie Molineux, who is recovering from a hip injury. Molineux, the joint vice-captain alongside Ash Gardner, was part of Australia's successful T20 World Cup campaign despite carrying drinks throughout the tournament.

McGrath returns to international cricket after making a statement in the opening round of the Women's National Cricket League. Representing South Australia against Victoria on September 29, the allrounder smashed 154 off 137 deliveries.

The century came as a major relief for McGrath after a period in which she felt she had not made a significant contribution to her teams.

“It was a relief to score runs because I haven't really contributed to teams I've been playing with for a while,” McGrath told reporters at Allan Border Field on Thursday.

“Nice to know I can still play cricket, and hopefully a really good confidence boost for me.”

The 29-year-old said she made several minor technical adjustments during the off-season, while also working on her mindset in an effort to rediscover her confidence.

“For me, it was stripping it right back to basics, what am I good at, homing in on that and just getting a bit of confidence,” McGrath said.

“That knock for South Australia has done me a world of good and I'm feeling in a really good place at the moment.”

Despite her impressive domestic century, McGrath does not expect to move significantly higher in Australia's batting order. With Georgia Voll, Phoebe Litchfield, Ellyse Perry, Beth Mooney and Gardner among the team's batting options, the stand-in captain believes the top order is already well established.

“That top order's pretty set,” McGrath said. “As a guess, I'd probably slot in around seven or eight, but I've got absolutely no idea what the batting order is going to look like.”

McGrath also highlighted the depth of Australia's batting resources, saying the team is fortunate to have so much experience and expertise throughout the lineup.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana is confident her side can put up a stronger challenge under new head coach David Hemp.

Australia remain overwhelming favourites, having won all five of their previous ODI meetings with Bangladesh. However, Sultana believes her team can compete by playing with confidence and producing its best cricket.

“They [Australia] are the best side, we all know that,” Sultana said. “We have to be very positive... and we will definitely play our A-game against them.”

Neither Australia nor Bangladesh has played an ODI series since April, adding an element of uncertainty ahead of the three-match contest.

The series will provide McGrath with her first opportunity to lead Australia in the ODI format and a chance to build on her impressive return to form while helping the team maintain its dominance against Bangladesh.