David Warner ruled out of remaining ODIs and T20Is against India; Pat Cummins rested

Australian batsman David Warner has been ruled out of the final ODI and the three T20Is against India after he developed a groin injury during the second ODI at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground. In the first two matches, the southpaw got scores of 69 and 83 and looked in good form. D’Arcy Short has been named as his replacement for the T20I series.

Apart from Warner, Pat Cummins, the Aussie fast bowler, has been rested from the remaining white-ball fixtures against the Men in Blue. Cummins hasn’t been in the best of rhythms, though he picked up three wickets in the second ODI after going wicketless in the first. The speedster was also below-par for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the 2020 Indian Premier League.

David Warner, Pat Cummins a crucial part of Test squad, says Langer

Justin Langer, the hosts’ head coach, reckons that Cummins and Warner are important members of the Test setup and the duo needs to stay fit, both ‘mentally and physically’.

“Pat and Davie are critical to our plans for the Test Series. 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,” Langer was quoted as saying on Cricbuzz.

“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. The Test series gets underway on December 17 with the Day-Night Test in Adelaide.

Among other members of the white-ball squads, Marcus Stoinis remains with the squad after missing the second ODI due to a side strain. Moises Henriques replaced him in the playing eleven on Sunday’s match.

In the meantime, Mitchell Marsh won’t be joining the Australia A squad and will be undergoing rehabilitation after he sustained an ankle injury in the 2020 edition of the IPL.

After taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ODIs with a 51-run victory on Sunday, Australia would be going for a whitewash when the last game takes place on Wednesday, December 2 in Canberra.