Steve Smith will lead Australia in the upcoming one-day international series against India as David Warner returns to the side after recovering from an elbow injury, selectors said yesterday. The three-match series beginning Friday will give the Australians more useful practice on local wickets ahead of the ODI World Cup in India later this year.
Smith will stand in for Pat Cummins, who returned home after leading Australia in the first two Test matches to care for his ailing mother who died last week. The visitors lost the series 2-1 – the fourth straight defeat to India – with the last match in Ahmedabad ending in a draw on Monday.
Star batsman Warner played in the first two Tests but returned to Australia after a blow to the head and injuring his elbow.
He was due to rejoin the squad in Mumbai on Tuesday following “two final rehabilitation sessions on his elbow”, Cricket Australia said. Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Sean Abbott, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa, Josh Inglis, Ashton Agar and Nathan Ellis – coming in for Jhye Richardson – arrived in India on Friday and trained in Ahmedabad.
Squad: Steve Smith (capt), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Ireland to play two Tests in Sri Lanka after schedule tweak
Ireland’s tour of Sri Lanka next month will now include two Test matches – the visitors’ fifth and sixth ever – after a scheduling rejig, officials said. The tour initially comprised one Test match and two ODIs, but both teams agreed to play a second Test and skip the 50-over games.
Both Test matches will be played in Galle, the first starting on April 16 and the second on April 24. Richard Holdsworth, of Cricket Ireland, said they agreed to the late change in schedule because the Test series is preceded by six white-ball matches in Bangladesh and followed by three further ODIs after they return home.
“Exposing our playing group to an extended period in Asian conditions will be beneficial to their development and given the World Cup this year is in India, the more exposure to these conditions the better, despite it being a different format,” he said in a statement.
Ireland have played just three Test matches, losing all of them, since being given Test status in 2017. They are due to play their fourth, in Bangladesh, in early April. In June they are set to take on England in a one-off Test at Lord’s.
Ireland squad: Andrew Balbirnie (capt), Mark Adair, Curtis Campher, Murray Commins, George Dockrell, Fionn Hand, Graham Hume, Matthew Humphreys, Tom Mayes, Andrew McBrine, James McCollum, PJ Moor, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, Ben White.
Latham to captain New Zealand for Sri Lanka ODI series
Tom Latham will captain New Zealand in one-day internationals against Sri Lanka with a host of Black Caps stars released to their Indian Premier League clubs. Latham will be skipper for the whiteball matches at Auckland’s Eden Park on March 25, Christchurch three days later and Hamilton on March 31.
Kane Williamson (Gujarat Titans), Tim Southee (Kolkata Knight Riders), Devon Conway and Mitchell Santner (both Chennai Super Kings) are not available, New Zealand Cricket said. The quartet will join their Indian franchises after the second Test against Sri Lanka, which starts in Wellington on Friday.
Williamson steered New Zealand to a thrilling last-ball win over Sri Lanka in the first Test on Monday on a rain-disrupted final day in Christchurch. With a host of stars absent, Black Caps coach Gary Stead has added South African-born batter Chad Bowes and seamer Ben Lister to the ODI squad.
Lister made his Twenty20 debut in India last month while this is the first time Bowes has been selected for the Black Caps.
New Zealand will host Sri Lanka in three Twenty20 matches following the ODI series.
New Zealand ODI Squad: Tom Latham (c), Finn Allen, Tom Blundell, Chad Bowes, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Matt Henry, Ben Lister, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Will Young
Australia’s captain Steve Smith. (AFP)
