Colombo: Australian all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has joined the list of players with injuries on their tour of Sri Lanka, with the charismatic cricketer suffering a calf injury before the third T20I which the hosts won by four wickets at Pallekele on Saturday.
Marsh is likely to miss the first two ODIs of the five-match series beginning in Pallekele on June 14.
The 30-year-old Marsh joins pace bowler Mitchell Starc — who sliced his index finger in a freak injury and is unlikely to return till the backend of the ODI series — and Sean Abbott, who has returned to Australia with a broken finger.
However, reinforcements have arrived for the tourists ahead of the ODIs in the form of Test captain Pat Cummins and all-rounder Cameron Green, while Marnus Labuschagne is the other addition from outside the T20 squad, according to cricket.com.au.
The report said that the three will begin training in Kandy on Monday, though Travis Head is unlikely to be a part of the ODI setup as he continues to remain with the Australia A squad ahead of their four-day games in Hambantota.
Jhye and Kane Richardson, who were clobbered in Sri Lanka’s nerve-wracking win at Pallekele on Saturday, have also been kept in contention despite the duo initially not selected for the ODIs.
With key bowler Adam Zampa absent due to the birth of his child, Mitchell Swepson, who made his ODI debut in Pakistan earlier this year, could get a look-in to pair with spinner Ashton Agar.
“We’re missing a couple of Mitches there but I think Pat (Cummins) will come back in,” Josh Hazlewood, speaking about the T20Is, told cricket.com.au. “We’ll have a look at the wicket, maybe (bring in) another spinner, who knows.”
Australian pace bowlers Hazlewood, Jhye and Kane Richardson came in for some punishment during the superb onslaught that revived a run chase that had appeared completely out of reach.
“From Shanaka it was some great hitting,” said Hazlewood after the 2-1 series win. “We nailed a few balls and they went to the boundary, and we bowled a few change-ups and they weren’t quite right either. Everything just seemed to hit the middle of the bat there at the end. Everyone’s calm out there. You play the over back in your head and you’d change a few things … there are no major concerns, maybe just a bit of a reality check.”
–IANS
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