ODI World Cup 2023: Marcus Stoinis doubtful for Australia's opening game against India

Australia's star all-rounder Marcus Stoinis is doubtful for their opening match in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. The Kangaroos will play hosts India in their first match on October 8 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Stoinis is having a hamstring niggle and his availability will be doubtful, according to Australia coach Andrew McDonald. The 34-year-old has picked up the niggle during the first ODI against India in Mohali last month and hasn't played a match since then.

"He's got a slight hamstring complaint at this stage, so that's why he missed the practice games and he'll be touch and go for the first game against India. We've got the main session today and then another hit out tomorrow, so he'll go through his work there and we'll see whether he's available for selection for game one but at the moment he wasn't fit and available for those practice games," McDonald said in Chennai as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

Another all-rounder Cameron Green has been in fine form and was instrumental for the side in the final warm-up match against Pakistan. However, McDonald stated that the team intended to have both in the lineup. 

"There's a way that we can fit them both into the one side. Over the last 18 months, we've had a pretty clear way that we want to build three ways of playing. One of those ways is definitely with all the all-rounders and potentially two quicks, and you've seen that side in the past 18 months being played, so there is a real possibility that both of those players can be in the same XI and we haven't ruled that out," the coach added.

We are pretty clear on the way we want to go: McDonald

When questioned about the potential options for Australia's opening game in the World Cup, Andrew McDonald indicated that they could alter the batting lineup or top-order structure depending on the surface they are playing.

"You can change your batting line-up, you can change the structure of your top order. So behind the scenes, we're pretty clear on the way that we want to go about it. And that'll be surface-dependent and clearly body-dependent as well.

"The World Cup is a long campaign, there's no doubt going to be some sore bodies at certain times. We feel as though with [our] squad that we've got great flexibility, albeit at the moment obviously Travis Head sitting and where he's at, that'll give us greater scope to shift and manoeuvre the side the way that we have over the last 18 months," the 42-year-old added.