It has been a wild, unpredictable ride for Meg Lanning's team but her side is looking like its old self at the right time
Australia are unlikely to have weathered their last storm of this T20 World Cup, but after four vastly different – yet all dramatic in their own way – group stage matches, Meg Lanning' team have regained their equilibrium.
They are off to the semi-finals, albeit under the dark clouds of Ellyse Perry's hamstring injury and Sydney's unpredictable weather, but they remain alive in a tournament that to date has thrown up more than its share of unforeseen challenges.
The pressure and media scrutiny, too, was anticipated, but perhaps not the extent to which it would affect them. You can do all the preparation you like with sports psychologists, but expectation rarely meets reality.
Those challenges were acknowledged – and embraced, as Lanning and her group so often repeated throughout their myriad media opportunities in the lead-up to the tournament.
Then, there was the unexpected.
Their main pace weapon Tayla Vlaeminck was ruled out of the tournament just two days before their first match with stress fractures in her right foot, throwing their plans into disarray.
Young allrounder Sophie Molineux was expected to make a routine recovery from a corked thigh, only for the injury to defy all predictions and keep her sidelined through the entire group stage.
Erin Burns' own recovery from minor knee surgery suffered several setbacks and while she is now fit, she has yet to play a competitive match in 2020.
On the field, a batting collapse against India leg-spinner Poonam Yadav immediately left Australia on the back foot and needing to win all their remaining matches to advance.
Panic set in early in a chase of just 123 against low-ranked Sri Lanka, leaving it to Lanning and her deputy Rachael Haynes to battle their way to a final-over win over a team never expected to push the reigning champions.
The following morning at Perth airport, the Australian squad were met with the glare of television cameras, all trained on Perry's heavily taped right shoulder – a phenomenon Australia's men could well by accustomed to, but a complete unknown for their women.
Next, it was Perry's hip that had her in a race against time for their virtual quarter-final against New Zealand. And while she overcame that hurdle in a last-minute fitness test, 31 overs later it was her hamstring that went as she limped from the field.
Australia could rightly be starting to wonder who stepped under the ladder, or crossed paths with a black cat.
But as Lanning noted – both before and in the wake of Monday's win – after Perth, despite swirling concerns around fitness and finals equations, something settled in her group.
Whether it was the return to the east coast, the relief of overcoming a serious scare or simply adapting to a new normal, there was a shift.
The laughter returned during warm-ups, the sense of urgency on the field disappeared.
"I think especially over the last week or so we've adjusted to that extra scrutiny and things that are happening," Lanning said on Monday.
"That's not to say we weren't prepared … you just don't really know what it's going to be like until you're actually there.
"And it took us a little bit to adjust. But we were able to scrape through with that win against Sri Lanka.
"From then on, I've sensed a different group and a really calm group.
"And I thought today's performance was the best of the tournament so far. We still can get better.
The next three days will continue to test Lanning and her squad in their pursuit of back-to-back finals and their dream of playing in front of a packed MCG.
Perry's reaction after going down in the field looked ominous and she could well be ruled out of the tournament before the Australian squad even board their flight for Sydney on Tuesday.
Then there is the ominous forecast, with between 15-30mm of rain predicted to fall on Thursday when the semi-final double-header is scheduled to be played at the SCG.
There is no reserve day and if 10 overs per side is not possible, Australia's opponent – either South Africa or England, pending results on Tuesday – will advance as the higher-ranked qualifier.
Those factors are out of Australia's control, but Lanning is confident her side will not be weighed down by the 'what if's'.
"We've got 15 players here who can do a job and you need a squad to win a World Cup," she said.
"You can't rely on one or two players and the same 11 each game and we're going to have to use our depth.
"Our first challenge of this tournament was to get through the group stage.
"Now that we've done that, it is certainly a nice feeling and we're looking forward to what the next few days hold as well."
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