Marsh joins Cup squad to cover injured Stoinis

Australia allrounder Mitchell Marsh is en route to join Australia's World Cup squad as cover after it was revealed Marcus Stoinis picked up a side strain in the match against India.

Stoinis has been ruled out of the game against Pakistan on Wednesday in Taunton, but Australia will wait to make a call on whether they replace him permanently in their 15-man squad with Marsh.

Stoinis collected 2-62 bowling seven overs as India racked up 5-352 in their 50 overs against Australia at The Oval on Sunday night, including a superb caught-and-bowled effort to remove MS Dhoni while he also had Virat Kohli caught in the deep by Pat Cummins.

He was bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a second-ball duck in Australia's 36-run defeat. He made 19 in his only other innings in the tournament, against the West Indies.

Stoinis has not been officially replaced in Australia's World Cup squad. The International Cricket Council regulations for the World Cup allow an injured player to be replaced, but they cannot later rejoin the squad if they regain full fitness.

Australia captain Aaron Finch said Stoinis would be reassessed ahead of Australia's ensuing match against Sri Lanka at The Oval on Saturday.

"(We're) not exactly sure on how many games he'll miss," said Finch. "That's why Mitch is flying over. It's still being assessed.

"Over the next couple of days we'll have a clearer picture on what that looks like."

Marsh, who is in career-best physical shape, was set to form part of the Australia A squad playing a series of one-day and first-class games in England, which gets underway next week. He also has a domestic T20 stint lined up with county side Glamorgan.

The 27-year-old's recall comes after a rollercoaster season in which he was named vice-captain of the Test team ahead of a two-match series against Pakistan in the UAE, before being dropped two matches later for the home summer.

He was recalled for a sole Test, against India at the MCG, before being axed again. He also lost his spot in Australia's one-day side as Stoinis became Australia's preferred seam-bowling allrounder.

Marsh was part of Australia's 2015 World Cup-winning squad but didn't play in the final, with Maxwell, Shane Watson and James Faulkner preferred as the all-round options.

Australia assistant coach Ricky Ponting said ahead of the current tournament (and before the 15-man squad had been named) that Marsh is the type of player that could play an integral role in the World Cup.

"I've known him for a long time and he's a highly talented player, he's obviously just battling himself at the minute," Ponting told cricket.com.au earlier this year.

"It's a hard world out there – international cricket is not an easy place to live and survive especially when you're an allrounder like him, and he's had his fair share of injury issues as well.

"I feel for him. I would love to see him in the World Cup squad. There is that danger man, x-factor about someone like Mitchell Marsh with the way that he can strike the cricket ball and his bowling is a little bit underrated as well.

"They're the guys that can win you a World Cup.

"Let's hope he finishes the Australian domestic season really strongly, makes a lot of runs and gives the selectors a reason to want to pick him back in the Australian team again."

2019 World Cup

Australia's squad: Aaron Finch (c), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

June 1: Australia beat Afghanistan by seven wickets

June 6: Australia beat West Indies by 15 runs

June 9: Australia lost to India by 36 runs

June 12: Australia v Pakistan, Taunton

June 15: Sri Lanka v Australia, The Oval

June 20: Australia v Bangladesh, Trent Bridge

June 25: England v Australia, Lord's

June 29: New Zealand v Australia, Lord's (D/N)

July 6: Australia v South Africa, Old Trafford (D/N)

July 9: Semi-Final 1, Old Trafford

July 11: Semi-Final 2, Edgbaston

July 14: Final, Lord's

Sync Australia's World Cup schedule to your calendar HERE

For a full list of all World Cup fixtures, click HERE