Australia captain Pat Cummins confirmed that star players Micthell Starc and Glenn Maxwell will not play in the first ODI against India which is scheduled for September 22, 2023, and will be played in Mohali.
This will be the first of the three ODIs, with Indore hosting the second match on September 24 and Rajkot hosting the third on September 27. This will be the last bilateral assignment for both teams before the ICC World Cup 2023 begins on October 5.
Australia have arrived in India with an 18-man squad for the 3-match series which will be their final World Cup tune-up.
Ahead of the first ODI in Mohali, Pat Cummins said that he will be playing all three matches of the ODI series. Notably, all three players, Starc, Maxwell, and Cummins along with Steve Smith missed the tour of South Africa due to injuries sustained in the Ashes earlier this year.
Starc and Maxwell arrived with the rest of the team in India. Notably, Starc was doing fitness drills at the Punjab Cricket Association in Mohali even as returning Steve Smith batted for more than 2 hours on Wednesday evening under lights.
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"We have got plenty of people at different stages. I am feeling pretty good, my wrist is all healed now, 100 percent. I was running around at the nets, this afternoon. I hope to play tomorrow. Hoping to play all 3 games," Cummins said in a presser.
"Trying to think of a long list. Starc is here, (but) he won't play tomorrow. But hopefully, he will be available later in the series. Yeah, he won't play tomorrow. But I hope he will come on and play a part later on. He had been bowling in Sydney. He will bowl today or tomorrow. We are all tracking him. The time frame is similar for Maxwell," he added.
Pat Cummins missed the tour of South Africa due to a wrist fracture he picked up during the final Ashes Test while Steve Smith missed the series in South Africa due to a wrist tendon issue.
Starc is experiencing soreness in his groin and opted out of the South Africa series, while Maxwell has an ankle injury related to his broken leg which he suffered last year.
Cummins had high praise for Marnus Labuschagne, who recently stepped in as a concussion substitute during the South Africa tour.
He remarked, "Marnus (Labuschagne) is always ringing in my head, 24 hours... He was fantastic. He was our best batter in South Africa. Not only batting-wise, his intent was excellent there in South Africa. I am sure he will get his chance in three games and push for his spot."
Cummins said the 3-match ODI series against India will allow the former champions to figure out their combination, including the need for a second spinner.
"We need to get used to these conditions, hopefully winning some. But also, we don't want to get to that first game being cooked. No doubt, we will try a few different combinations, and a few different players will be tried.
But hopefully, we will structure our team similarly to how we will play (At the World Cup). So, batters batting at their positions, as a captain I want to get used to how you use your bowlers here, which may be different to say South Africa or back in Australia. Does the second spin play a part? Hopefully, we will get some answers in the next few games," he added.
Cummins provided insights into the team's strategy, hinting that spinner Adam Zampa might take on a crucial role in the death overs against India.
Cummins noted, "We have picked four frontline bowlers who should be ready to bowl in all phases. In particular, Zampa is effective in not only keeping the run rate down but also picking and taking a couple of wickets in the death which is important as well. It would not be surprising if we keep 3-4 overs of him."
Australia will have 2 warm-up matches before they begin their campaign against India in Chennai on October 8.
(ANI inputs)
