Australia coach Shelley Nitschke explains the difficult decision to leave out the experienced allrounder at the start of the India series

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Australia head coach Shelley Nitschke has admitted that dropping vice-captain Tahlia McGrath was one of the toughest decisions of her coaching career, but believes the move could help the senior allrounder rediscover her best form.

McGrath’s omission came as a surprise at the start of the T20I series against India Women, especially given that she had been interviewed for the captaincy just a month earlier. Instead, Australia opted to reshuffle their leadership group, with Sophie Molineux named as the long-term successor to Alyssa Healy, and Ashleigh Gardner appointed vice-captain alongside McGrath.

McGrath’s drop followed a challenging 2025 season, which culminated in a disappointing ODI World Cup where she averaged just 13.75 with the bat and had limited impact with the ball. The 30-year-old later acknowledged that her confidence had taken a hit during that period.

Selectors ultimately decided to bring back Nicola Carey, a move Nitschke described as incredibly hard but necessary.
“Tahlia has been a massive part of this team for a long time,” Nitschke said. “She’s captained in Alyssa’s absence and is a fantastic leader. Her international T20 record is really strong, but unfortunately she’s been squeezed out. Leaving her out was a really tough call, but Nic Carey has been playing really well.”

McGrath was not the only senior player left out, with veteran seamer Megan Schutt and power-hitter Grace Harris also omitted from the opening match.

Looking ahead, Australia have only three more T20Is — against West Indies Women — before travelling to England for the T20 World Cup. The tournament carries added pressure after Australia exited at the semi-final stage of both the most recent T20 and ODI World Cups.

Since returning to domestic cricket, McGrath has shown encouraging signs of a resurgence, scoring 47, 58* and 48 for South Australia Women in 50-over matches. Nitschke believes that spell away from the international spotlight has been crucial.

“She’s played six WNCL games since December, which has been great for her confidence,” Nitschke said. “Spending that time in domestic cricket has worked wonders for her, both with bat and ball.”

Australia’s decision came after a tough start to the series, with the hosts bowled out for 133 at the Sydney Cricket Ground. India were well placed at 50 for 1 before rain intervened, resulting in a 21-run DLS victory for the visitors.

While the call to drop McGrath was undeniably difficult, Australia remain hopeful that the move will ultimately help one of their most important players return to peak form ahead of a crucial World Cup year.