HUGE Setback For Australia! Star Player Likely To Miss Next Month's India Tour: Report
India and Australia are scheduled to play a three-match ODI series, starting from September 22 onwards.
Australian cricket team have suffered a huge setback ahead of their tour to India. As per several media reports, Aussie captain and leading pacer Pat Cummins is all set to miss India vs Australia three-match ODI series, next month. 30-year-old Cummins suffered an injury on his left wrist on day 1 of the fifth Ashes 2023 Test against England at The Oval, Syndney Morning Herald reported. The local newspaper reported that despite being injured, Cummins opted to bowl with a fractured left wrist and picked up a wicket each in both innings, contributing 36 runs with the bat. Just two months are left for the start of the ICC Men's ODI World Cup 2023 in India. If Cummins' injury is serious, the Australian team can get into big trouble.
Pat Cummins is the captain of Australia's Test and ODI team. In last two months, he has played a total of six Test matches, including the final of the World Test Championship between Australia and India and the five-match Ashes Test series against England. Cummins led Australia to win in three of these six matches, lost two matches and one resulted in a draw.
After being in action for last two months, senior pacer Cummins definitely needed rest. It was expected that he would be rested for Australia's upcoming T20 series against South Africa. However, it is now being reported that Cummins might also be ruled out of the ODI series against India in September, which is a big concern for Australia. The tour of India is of high importance for the visitors, an opportunity for them to adapt and understand home conditions of ODI World Cup 2023 venues.
Australia are slated to play three T20Is and five ODIs against South Africa, from 30th August onwards. Cricket Australia may announce the ODI and T20 team for the tour next week. After this, Australia will play a three-match ODI series against India, starting from September 22 onwards. In absence of Cummins, Steve Smith gets captaincy of the Australian team, but this time Mitchell Marsh is likely to be made the captain in the series against South Africa and India.