Warner, Cummins to miss remaining white-ball games against India

D'Arcy Short has been called in as Warner's replacement in the T20I squad for the three-match series which begins Friday. Additionally, right-arm pacer Pat Cummins has been rested from remainder of white-ball matches

Sydney: Australia opener David Warner has been ruled out of the remaining white-ball matches against India after injuring his groin during the second ODI of the ongoing three-match series.

D’Arcy Short has been called in as Warner’s replacement in the T20I squad for the three-match series which begins Friday. Additionally, right-arm pacer Pat Cummins has been rested from remainder of white-ball matches in a bid to keep him fresh for the Test series.

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Warner suffered a groin strain in Australia’s 51-run win on Sunday night at the Sydney Cricket Ground and returned home to begin his rehab in the hope to be fit for the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which begins December 17 at the Adelaide Oval.

The left-handed batsman scored half-centuries in both the ODIs and provided good start for Australia with 156 and 142-run opening partnerships with Australian captain Aaron Finch.

“Pat and Davie are critical to our plans for the Test series,” head coach Justin Langer was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

“Davie will work through his injury rehab and in Pat’s case it is important all of our players are managed well to keep them mentally and physically fit throughout what is a challenging summer. The priority for both is being fully prepared for one of the biggest and most important home Test series we have played in recent years, especially with World Test Championship points up for grabs,” he added.

Earlier, Marcus Stoinis had suffered a side strain in the first ODI because of which he couldn’t take part in the second match. However, he continues to remain with the squad.

Australia have already won the ODI series and will look to go for a clean sweep when they take on the Men in Blue at the Manuka Oval in Canberra on Wednesday.

TV records smashed in 2nd ODI

The second ODI of the ongoing three-match series between Australia and India played on Sunday delivered record viewership ratings Down Under, according to TV numbers revealed by pay channel Fox Sports.

An audience of 5,85,000 tuned in across Foxtel platforms and Kayo to watch the second match which Australia won by 51 runs at the Sydney Cricket Ground, according to Fox Sports.
The first ODI of the series, which Australia had won by 66 runs against the Men in Blue on

November 27, also watched by 4,70,000 people across all platforms on Foxtel.
The ratings for Sunday’s clash by the Australian cricket team was more than 2015 World Cup final against New Zealand delivered on PayTV.

“How good’s the cricket. The women are the best in the world and now Australia’s ODI men’s team is performing better than we’ve seen in modern times against top-rated India and Virat Kohli – it doesn’t get any better,” Fox Sports executive director Steve Crawley said.

“Beginning the summer with the white ball has proven to be a hugely successful formula for Cricket Australia,” he added.

Channel 7, a free-to-air, holds the rights for the four-match Test series between Australia and India while Fox Sports has the rights to broadcast the two white-ball series — three ODIs and as many T20Is.

Both channels will, however, be able to broadcast the first Test, a pink-ball affair to be played at the Adelaide Oval from December 17-21. This will be the lone Test which Kohli will play before returning to India for the birth of his first child with wife Anushka Sharma.