New Delhi:
Mitchell Starc, who roared back to form with a blazing haul of 10 wickets in the Canberra Test against Sri Lanka, has been ruled out of the limited-overs series against India due to injury. Jhye Richardson, who took Virat Kohli’s wicket in all the three ODIs and also made a sparkling debut in the series against Sri Lanka, has been included in the side. Peter Siddle, Mitchell Marsh have been omitted while the side sees the return of Shaun Marsh, Nathan Coulter-Nile and Kane Richardson. D’Arcy Short has also been included as cover for Shaun, who will join the side for the third ODI as he expects the birth of his second child.
In a Cricket Australia statement, national selector Trevor Hohns said Starc suffered a pectoral tear during the Canberra Test and he might be available for the ODI series against Pakistan, the final bilateral assignment for Australia before the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. “Scans have revealed that Mitchell Starc sustained a substantial tear to his left pec muscle while bowling on the final day of the Test match in Canberra,” Hohns said.
Coulter-Nile had missed the ODI series after he complained of back soreness while Kane Richardson’s good form and experience in playing in Indian conditions sees his inclusion in the side as the five-time world champions look to pick their winning composition for the World Cup. “Kane performed well for his country when given the opportunity. Nathan Coulter-Nile provides us with another quality bowling option, he brings good energy in the field and can also score runs in high pressure situations,” Hohns said.
The first Twenty20 International will take place at the ADA-VDCA stadium in Vizag on February 24 followed by the second T20I at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru on February 27. Following the end of the T20Is, the ODI series will be played.
The first match will take place on March 2nd in Hyderabad, followed by a game on March 5 at the VCA stadium in Jamtha, Nagpur. The series will then shift to Ranchi for the third ODI on March 8 while the fourth game will be played at PCA stadium in Mohali on March 10. The series will then end with the fifth and final ODI at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. This series will be the last international fixture after which the IPL will begin from March 23 and will be played in India.
