Australia name the ODI squad for three-match series against India
Three veterans make a comeback to the squad while most who played the previous series have been excluded.
Cricket Australia today named the 14-man squad for the One-Day International series against India and it marks the return of three senior players in the team. The selectors have gone back and included Test No.3 Usman Khawaja to strengthen the batting unit while fast bowler Peter Siddle and off-spinner Nathan Lyon also make a comeback to the squad. Siddle’s name was the biggest surprise as the 34-year-old last played an ODI back in 2010.
The two teams will play three ODIs starting January 12 at the SCG. As many as six players have been excluded from the squad that played South Africa in the previous ODI series. Skipper Aaron Finch, his deputy Alex Carey along with all-rounders Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, leg-spinner Adam Zampa and Shaun Marsh have managed to retain their place in the team.
Head, Lynn and Short dropped
Among batsmen Travis Head, Chris Lynn, D’Arcy Short and Ben McDermott are not a part of the ODI team for the upcoming India series along with pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile and all-rounder Ashton Agar. At the same time, they’ve also asked the pace trio of Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins who have formed the bowling unit in the Tests to rest.
With the World Cup 2019, just around the corner, it is a conscious move by the selection unit led by Trevor Hohns to revamp the batting order as the likes of Head, Short and Lynn who were given an extended rope with the ODI side failed to make it count.
“Travis Head, Darcy Short and Chris Lynn have been unlucky to miss out. All three have had opportunities to cement their spots, but unfortunately, they have not been as productive as we would have liked in recent times when playing ODI cricket for Australia,” Hohns said in a statement.
The selectors have brought fresh faces in the pace bowling attack and the Big Bash League (BBL) performers have been rewarded with a call-up. Jhye Richardson, Jason Behrendorff and Billy Stanlake along with Siddle are the seam options in hand beside Mitch Marsh the all-rounder.
“Nathan Coulter-Nile recently experienced some lower back soreness, and on the advice of our medical staff we weren’t prepared to risk selecting Nathan in the side given the demands of the upcoming ODI series.”
Australia squad for the ODI series vs India:
Aaron Finch (C), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Peter Handscomb, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa
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