Steve Smith. File
| Photo Credit: R.V. Moorthy
Senior batter Steve Smith will lead Australia in opposition to India within the upcoming three-match ODI collection as common captain Pat Cummins, who misplaced his mom lately, is not going to return to the nation for the white-ball contest.
Cummins had left for residence after the second Test in Delhi to maintain his mom Maria, who died of breast most cancers final week.
The first recreation of the three-match collection shall be performed in Mumbai on March 17.
“Pat won’t be coming back, he’s still taking care of what’s happened back home,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald stated.
“Our thoughts are with Pat and his family as they go through that grieving process,” Donald was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
Cricket Australia has not named any alternative for Cummins within the 15-man squad. Smith had captained Australia within the final two Tests of the four-match collection that India gained 2-1 to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
India gained the primary two Tests whereas Australia emerged victorious within the third match in Indore. The Ahmedabad recreation resulted in a uninteresting draw.
Nathan Ellis was lately recalled to the ODI squad after Jhye Richardson made a late withdrawal having been compelled to endure a hamstring surgical procedure.
A struggling David Warner, who has not been among the many ODI squad members coaching in Ahmedabad in current days, is about to return to the facet after lacking the ultimate two Tests attributable to an elbow damage.
On the tempo entrance, Josh Hazlewood, who additionally captained the ODI group in the course of the England collection when Cummins missed a match, is absent attributable to an damage.
Ashton Agar has returned after being despatched residence halfway via the Test collection and is more likely to kind a spin partnership with Adam Zampa.
The collection may also mark the returns of Glenn Maxwell (damaged leg) and Mitchell Marsh (ankle surgical procedure) from critical accidents.
“We’ve got a couple conversations around the balance of the team we want to play, we’ve gone in with a structure with eight batters to bat a little bit deeper, we’ve tried that,” stated McDonald.
“So there’ll be a mix of combinations as we lead into the World Cup.
“[There is] plenty of all-rounders picked within the squad and might all of them play within the one group? So we have got to reply just a few of these questions.” The ODI collection is necessary for Australia provided that India is internet hosting the ODI World Cup in October-November.
Cummins took over the ODI job after Aaron Finch’s retirement final yr however has led the facet in simply two matches thus far.
Source: www.thehindu.com
