Scotland Eyes Historic ODI Series Win Against Aussies

Scotland is all set for an action-packed three-match T20I series against Australia in Edinburgh. The hosts will be keen to register a maiden win over the cricketing powerhouse. The close defeat in the World T20 League earlier this year, where Scotland pushed Australia to the limit, gives confidence to the Scots for making the most of the home advantage and carrying on the good work that they have shown in recent times.

In that T20 encounter, Scotland were all over Australia. Brandon McMullen whacked 60 off just 34 balls. The game did go right down to the wire with Australia needing 87 from 39 balls before Marcus Stoinis flipped the script. Equally buoyant, the Scottish team had been 90 for 0 against England in a game which did eventually get rained out and this represents an opportunity to turn near-misses into material success.

Left-arm spinner Mark Watt articulated the team's ambition thus: "We're after a little bit of blood this week. Not just to win a game but to win the series. We believe we should have won that World Cup game and now have a point to prove." The team, retained with all 15 from the World Cup, is all set to make a statement.

The pace bowler Charlie Cassell, who sent shockwaves into the world after his ODI debut with 7 wickets for only 21 runs against Oman, has also been included in this series. According to coach Doug Watson, one of great importance is this series: "This is a great opportunity for our players to compete against world-class talent. Winning the first game is crucial to set the tone for the series."

This series is a welcome opportunity for Scotland, more so after Ireland, due to financial reasons, failed to host Australia. The last bilateral meeting between the two teams came in 2013, with Scotland remaining upbeat after that famous six-run victory over England in 2018.

We need more opportunities to play against these big boys. The better the cricket we get, the better we become. That's our time now, and we want to ensure we seize it." Michael Leask expressed his frustration over the limited opportunities availed against top cricketing nations.

With this series, Scotland gears up to portray some promising cricket for the country, probably rewriting their cricketing history against Australia.