After colliding with teammate Georgia Wareham, which caused her to miss the first game of the series, Australia will have to wait until Sunday to find out whether star all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner will be ready for the second Twenty20 International against New Zealand in Mackay.

Gardner’s history of head injuries meant that she was removed off the field for the first game as a precaution even though she did not have a concussion. She participated in team training on Saturday morning and will be observed following the practice. Wareham, who participated in the game on Thursday, has trained without incident and has not shown any symptoms of a concussion.

Australia secured a five-wicket victory in the first game and now want to win the series on Sunday.

Beth Mooney, who will play in her 100th Twenty20 International on Sunday, gave some thought to the team’s performance in the first game and highlighted certain areas that needed work. Mooney told cricket.com.au, “It was a good game for us (but) not a great one.”

“We want to improve in every aspect of the game, perhaps starting off stronger at bat and keeping the ball in better shape.”

In the first game, New Zealand scored 140, which Mooney deemed to be below average. “We’ll have to make adjustments tomorrow night if they come out hard, so they might have been a few runs short,” she said.

Australia is using this series as preparation for the next T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. They will also play warm-up matches in Dubai against England and the West Indies. On October 5, they play their first World Cup match against Sri Lanka.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to try a few different things and really nail that style of play we’ve been discussing,” Mooney said, highlighting the significance of the series.

Sophie Devine, the captain of New Zealand, is still expected to miss the second game as she continues to heal from an ankle injury she suffered during The Hundred.

Before the T20 World Cup, the White Ferns are being careful with their top player.