Mahli Beardman: The 140kmph Australian quick making his case against India A
A combined 20 international caps across formats. 224 encounters in the high-pressure environment of the IPL. Mahli Beardman made batters with that level of experience look ordinary with his pace during Australia A’s thumping win over India A in the first one-dayer in Puducherry on Monday.
The 21-year-old Beardman returned career-best figures of four for 23 with one simple tactic: steam in and bowl fast. He took the new ball for the visitor and, by the time his first spell of 140 kmph projectiles was over, had cleaned up India A’s top order.
B. Sai Sudharsan saw a short ball whizz past his right ear less than a second after it left the bowler’s hand. He attempted a pull but could only glove it through to the ‘keeper. Devdutt Padikkal and Prabhsimran Singh both fell trying to force the initiative. Their mistimed pushes found the hands of waiting Australia A fielders. He added a fourth late in the innings, once again beating Suryansh Shedge for pace as the batter looked to swat one.
“The plan was pretty simple: just hold a hard length. I thought they [India A] had some success early with the short ball. We tried the same and from there we we were crafty with the crease, angles, seam positions and things like that,” Beardman said after the game.
Beardman first made his mark during the 2024 Under-19 World Cup. He picked 10 wickets in the tournament at an average of 10.50 and was named Player of the Match in the final for his three for 15 as the Aussies beat the Uday Saharan-led India U-19 to the title. His searing pace was evident then, and he has only sharpened his tools since.
“We’ve got a rich history of fast bowling in Western Australia (WA), where I come from. I grew up watching Mitchell Johnson. I was lucky enough to be coached by Dennis Lillee. That’s something that has been passed down. Now we’ve got Jhye Richardson, Lance Morris, all of these boys with good airspeeds,” the speedster explained.
Beardman is a self-proclaimed fan of South African legend Dale Steyn. He says the pacer’s steely look and aggressive knee-rock immediately drew him to his bowling style. “We saw how well he competed. As soon as you cross the white line, there’s aggression and everything is heart on sleeve. That’s something that I try and implement in my cricket,” he said.
The U-19 World Cup winner’s stocks rose rapidly after the 15th season of the Big Bash League. The pacer picked 13 wickets in 11 games at an economy rate of 8.08 and helped Perth Scorchers win a record sixth title. He earned his T20I debut against Pakistan in Lahore in January 2026. Beardman snared two for 33 in four overs, but Australia went down by 22 runs.
But his rapid rise was checked when he was sidelined by a back injury. The first one-dayer against India A was only his third game since returning. He played two games for WA in the One-Day Cup before making the trip to the subcontinent.
“Injuries are always frustrating. [Didn’t feel like] I would lose pace, but there is always an unknown. The timing of it wasn’t horrendous. I ended up getting most of my rehab done through the pre-season, which was good. It’s only my third game back now, so still feeling a little bit underdone,” the right-arm quick said.
“During that time, it was just about spending a lot of time in the gym and trying to get stronger. And then, when I got away from cricket, I just made sure that I was fresh mentally,” he added.
Spending time as a standby player with the Australian squad during the UK tour in 2024 and the India series a year later allowed Beardman to pick the brains of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins. “I try and be as much of a sponge as possible and try and soak up as much knowledge as I can,” the youngster said.
“They’ve been awesome from a technical aspect, and just trying to find some clarity. Being so mature and having played so much cricket, they’ve got a really simple outlook on the game,” he explained.
Beardman has attracted plenty of attention since his exploits in the junior World Cup. The last Australian to win the Player of the Match award in the final was Hazlewood, who went on to enjoy a stellar career with the men’s team. The 21-year-old will hope his performances in the ongoing India A series can push him back into first-team contention as he continues to make his case as a long-term member of Australia’s pace attack.
Published on Oct 08, 2026
