Stoinis concerns as selectors ponder ideal XI for Cup opener

Marcus Stoinis is "touch and go" to be available for Australia's World Cup opener against India on Sunday after picking up hamstring complaint in the recent ODI series against the host nation.

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald revealed Stoinis suffered the injury in the first ODI against India in Mohali where he hit 29 and took the new ball, finishing with figures of 0-40 from his five overs.

The big-hitting allrounder has missed Australia's past four matches, including both World Cup warm-up fixtures against the Netherlands and Pakistan, but returned to training prior to the Pakistan game in Hyderabad where bowled and batted for about 90 minutes.

McDonald said there was less concern with Adam Zampa who has sat out the past three matches to manage his workloads as he prepares to spearhead the five-time champions spin attack in their nine groups stage matches across the next 37 days.

"It was the Mohali game, (Stoinis) pulled up a little bit sore from that," McDonald told reporters in Chennai on Thursday.

"Further investigation led to that being a slight hamstring. He'll be touch and go for game one. He certainly hasn't been ruled out of that, but we weren't prepared to risk him in those practice games.

"We've got the main session today and then another hit out tomorrow, so he'll go through his work there and we'll see whether he's available for selection for game one.

"These next couple of days (are) really important for him to press for selection for game one and we'll see how that unfolds."

Stoinis was no certainty to start in Australia's World Cup opener as selectors ponder the ideal make-up of their XI and whether Cameron Green provides a more reliable all-round option at No.7.

McDonald didn't rule out the possibility of Stoinis and Green featuring in the same side throughout the tournament by playing two quicks, three pace-bowling allrounders, Zampa and off-spinning allrounder Glenn Maxwell also another option.

"Over the last 18 months, we've wanted to build three ways of playing and one of those ways is definitely with all the allrounders and potentially two quicks," he said.

"You've seen that side be played in the past 18 months so there is a real possibility that both of those players can be in the same XI and we haven't ruled that out.

"Behind the scenes, we're pretty clear on the way that we want to go about it. That'll be surface dependent and clearly body dependent as well.

"The World Cup, it's a long campaign, there's no doubt going to be some sore bodies at certain times. We feel as though with (our) squad that we've got great flexibility … and that'll give us greater scope to shift and manoeuvre the side the way that we have over the last eight months."

Travis Head would add further flexibility with his off-spin when he rejoins the squad and McDonald said the injured opener faced another checkpoint in his recovery from a fractured left hand around October 11-12.

"That'll give us a lot more information as to the final timeframes and when he potentially can join the group but until we get that then he'll remain at home training and prepping his body as much as he can," McDonald said.

"The real positive from the last practice game against Pakistan was obviously Mitch Marsh getting that bowling into him, backing up from the Netherlands game.

"Mitchell Starc, his two spells were really important to get him some match time. Cameron Green got a little bit of time in the middle also and clearly Glenn Maxwell being able to cope with the demands of the game that he played, a significant innings plus being able to back up and bowl as many overs as he did.

"He's pulled up really well so a few of those moving parts that we had leading in have unfolded positively for us. If you asked me that two weeks ago, I would have been a little bit worried but now everything seems to have come together nicely."

Australia's 2023 ODI World Cup fixtures

Warm-up match: No result v Netherlands

Warm-up match: Defeated Pakistan by 14 runs

October 8: v India, Chennai (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

October 12: v South Africa, Lucknow (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

October 16: v Sri Lanka, Lucknow (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

October 20: v Pakistan, Bengaluru (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

October 25: v Netherlands, Delhi (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

October 28: v New Zealand, Dharamsala, 4pm AEDT

November 4: v England, Ahmedabad (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

November 7: v Afghanistan, Mumbai (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

November 11: v Bangladesh, Pune, 4pm AEDT

November 15: First semi-final, Mumbai (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

November 16: Second semi-final, Kolkata (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

November 19: Final, Ahmedabad (D/N), 7.30pm AEDT

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa