Starc, Maxwell out, Steve Smith in for first ODI match against India

Australian players Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell have been ruled out of the first ODI game of the three-match series against India

Mohali: Australian players Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell have been ruled out of the first ODI game of the three-match series against India while Steve Smith will return to the side.

India will lock horns with Australia on Friday at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium in Mohali. In the pre-match press conference, Cummins updated about the fitness of Australia’s key players like Mitchell Starc, Glenn Maxwell and Steve Smith and said that Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell will miss Friday’s match while Steve Smith will make his comeback after being ruled out in the recent series against South Africa.

---

“I am feeling pretty good, my wrist is all healed now. I am hoping to play all three games. Starc won’t be playing tomorrow, hope he will be well bowled later in the series, same with Maxwell. We are trying to have a balance between getting a match time to everyone in the middle as we are going to the World Cup in a couple of weeks,” he added.

“He (Steve Smith) is all good, he will play tomorrow, he has a few hits and his wrist seems 100 per cent fit,” he further said. Cummins and Steve Smith were dealing with wrist injuries while Mitchell Starc suffered from soreness in his groin and shoulder upon returning from the UK.

Glenn Maxwell, who was initially part of the South Africa tour, continues to nurse his ankle injury which he aggravated while training ahead of the T20I series against South Africa and then flew back home for the birth of his child.

The Australian skipper also said that they would include four frontline bowlers in the team while Adam Zampa can bowl three to four overs in death overs considering his effective bowling. “We have picked four frontline bowlers who should be ready to bowl in all phases. Especially, 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 really important as well. It would not be surprising if we keep 3-4 overs of him,” he added.