Jake Fraser-McGurk opens up on method to ODI madness

Australia showcased a phenomenal performance at the Manuka Oval in Canberra, on Tuesday, February 6, outplaying the West Indies by eight wickets in the third and final ODI to whitewash the series.

Australia opener Jake Fraser-McGurk, who played a quick 18-ball 41-run innings, felt that his game has already evolved after two games. Notably, the 21-year-old who made his ODI debut in the second game against the Caribbean nation, never anticipated he'd have such an influence on Australia very soon. He acknowledged his satisfaction with his performance, stating that learning from one game to the next is important and hoping it will help him better his game in the future.

"I don't think it differs at all, my mindset's just go out there, watch the ball as hard as I can and react to it, and my reactions are slightly more aggressive than most. So if it looks like I'm going out there just trying to slog everything, it might look like that, but really, there's some thought behind it and some risk and reward and (I'm) trying to weigh up. I actually gave myself a few balls early on, enough to get some information off the wicket. And then I was like, 'Alright, I can expand it now'. Those little learnings from one game to another is crucial and it's going to be massive for my game going forward," Fraser-McGurk told cricket.com.au after the win.

"It's just really saying to yourself, 'commit' (and) just committing to it. Because if you're sort of 60/40 (60 per cent committed), you're not really committing to it and the risks go more in favour than the reward. So that's what I've been focusing on and working hard on and the coaches and my teammates backing me is crucial as well," he said of his approach to batting.

Want to be a three-format player for Australia later in my career:  Fraser-McGurk

Fraser-McGurk further recalled his conversation with South Australia coach Jason Gillespie, stating he told him that he wanted to be an all-format player. He also expressed delight at being selected for the national team, especially because he had been struggling at the domestic level.
 
"I said to Jason Gillespie: 'I want to be a three-format player for Australia later in my career'. That's my goal, I'm working towards that. That's the reason why I moved to South Australia … I wanted to get a fresh start. But I didn't think it was going to happen as quick as this and to get one format under my belt now is amazing. Twelve months is a long time in cricket and to be rewarded with some selection, it's really pleasing to me and my family.

"Mum (Charlotte), dad (Les) and grandad came today, they've been doing a road trip around so to have them here and to be able to perform well for them as is really meaningful to me and I hope I gave them a nice smile," he further said.