Aussies forced into changes as injured trio skip India tour

Australia have been forced into three changes for a whirlwind T20 tour of India with selectors taking a conservative approach ahead of next month's T20 World Cup title defence.

David Warner had already been rested from the trip and now Mitch Starc (knee), Mitch Marsh (ankle) and Marcus Stoinis (side) have been ruled out of the tour, with Nathan Ellis, Daniel Sams and Sean Abbott added to the squad.

The injuries to the trio are minor, but with the travel involved for three games in three separate cities in six days in India, Australia has taken a cautious approach with their T20 World Cup campaign due to start on October 22 when they face New Zealand at the SCG.

The injuries to Marsh and Stoinis emerged during Australia's north Queensland ODI series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand, but Starc is a late exclusion from the tour after a scan on his knee today in Sydney.

Australia will play home T20 series against the West Indies and England in the lead-up to the World Cup, with Warner, Marsh, Starc and Stoinis all expected to be available for those games.

The absence of Stoinis all-but guarantees Tim David will make his Australian debut on the India tour as a middle-order finisher, and gives him the chance to make it difficult for Stoinis to force his way back into the side.

Marsh's absence could see Steve Smith move back up to No.3 with allrounder Cameron Green coming into the side, while Josh Inglis is likely to partner Aaron Finch at the top of the order with Warner rested from the tour for family time.

Image Id: 30D51B5908914457900B678D7887B939 Image Caption: Starc, Maxwell and Hazlewood show off Australia's T20 World Cup kit at the SCG today // Getty

Ashton Agar, who was the victim of Australia's bold selection policy by being dropped as they powered their way to the World Cup title in the UAE last year, is also in the squad.

Marsh, in particular, is a key cog in Australia's hopes of becoming the first men’s team to win back-to-back T20 World Cup titles.

The 30-year-old reported ankle soreness following Australia's win in the first ODI against Zimbabwe in Townsville and was immediately put on ice to recover.

Marsh had his finest hour in Australian gold to break the men’s side’s T20 World Cup title drought in Dubai last November, striking 77 not out from 50 balls at No.3 in an eight-wicket win.

Stoinis played an instrumental role alongside Matthew Wade in Australia's semi-final victory over Pakistan, with the allrounder striking 40no off 31 balls as Australia stormed back from needing 62 in the final five overs to win.

The amended Australia squad will fly to India early on Thursday ahead of a few days of acclimatisation and training leading into the first match next Tuesday in Mohali.

They play again on September 23 in Nagpur before the final match two days later in Hyderabad.

Australia will then return home before hosting the West Indies on October 5 and 7 in Queensland.

Ellis comes into the squad off the back of an excellent T20 Blast season with Hampshire, including bowling the dramatic final over where he successfully defended a total to secure a one-run win.

He claimed 15 wickets in 13 matches with a miserly economy rate of 6.87, the second best of any quick to deliver 10 overs. He added seven wickets in nine Hundred games for London Spirit.

Sams took 14 wickets in 12 T20 Blast games and was expensive at 9.05 per over, but enhanced his lower-order hitting credentials with 165 runs at a strike rate of 171.87, with 13 sixes.

That strike rate went up to 190.90 as he clubbed 105 runs in five innings for Trent Rockets in the Hundred, adding seven wickets in nine games with an economy of 10.20.

India, meanwhile, have welcomed back Jasprit Bumrah to their squad, while also recalling a fit-again Harshal Patel to bolster their pace bowling for the World Cup in Australia.

Bumrah missed the recent Asia Cup with a back injury that has kept him out of action since mid-July.

Patel too has recovered from a rib injury to join the 15-member squad as a potent death-overs bowling option alongside veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

There was no room in the World Cup squad for noted death-overs specialist Mohammed Shami, but he will feature in the series against Australia with Arshdeep Singh held back.

Of the two wicketkeepers in the Rohit Sharma-led squad, Rishabh Pant gives India the option of playing the left-handed batsman as a free-moving 'floater', while Dinesh Karthik has a formidable reputation as a 'finisher'.

India, who begin their campaign with an October 23 blockbuster against arch-rivals Pakistan in Melbourne, will miss the injured Ravindra Jadeja but have a like-for-like replacement in spin all-rounder Axar Patel.

Seasoned Ravichandran Ashwin was picked as the second spinner, behind Yuzvendra Chahal.

Qantas T20 Tour of India 2022

September 20: First T20, Mohali, midnight Sept 21 AEST

September 23: Second T20, Nagpur, midnight Sept 24 AEST

September 25: Third T20, Hyderabad, midnight Sept 26 AEST

All matches will be shown live on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports

Australia squad: Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Steve Smith, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa.

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul (vc), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Ravichandaran Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah.