Australia heads into the upcoming ODI series against India facing a series of setbacks, with several key players unavailable for the opening matches. Pat Cummins has been ruled out of the white-ball series against India due to lower back issues, while all-rounder Cameron Green will miss the three ODIs scheduled for October 19, 23, and 25 because of side soreness. Green’s injury has been assessed as low grade, but Cricket Australia is taking a cautious approach given his importance for the Ashes campaign. Marnus Labuschagne has been called in as Green’s replacement. The batter returns to the ODI setup in excellent form, having scored four centuries for his domestic side this season, including two in the 50-over format. Labuschagne had initially been overlooked after disappointing scores of 1 and 1 in the home ODIs against South Africa in August. Australia has already made two other changes for the series opener. Josh Philippe will take the place of Josh Inglis, who remains sidelined with a calf strain, and Matthew Kuhnemann replaces Adam Zampa, who is unavailable for the first ODI due to family commitments. Alex Carey is also missing the first game for family reasons. Zampa, Inglis, and Carey are expected to return from the second ODI onwards. Despite the absences, Australia’s squad for the opening match includes captain Mitchell Marsh, Travis Head, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, Cooper Connolly, Xavier Bartlett, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Mitchell Owen, and Josh Philippe. From the second game onwards, the squad will be strengthened with Adam Zampa, Alex Carey, and Josh Inglis back in action. Australia will need to find rhythm quickly as they face a strong Indian side, with the missing leaders and key players a significant hurdle in their bid to start the series on a strong note.
