Australia set to send a batch of youngsters to replace tired seniors in T20I squad against India: Reports
Cricket Australia (CA) is reportedly set to make a major change to the T20I team which is currently 0-2 behind India in the five-match series in the subcontinent. Senior member David Warner was already rested prior to the commencement of the series, and from the looks of things, the remaining senior members might also be withdrawn from the squad.
According to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald, the trio of Ben McDermott, Josh Philippe and Chris Green are likely to be slotted into the squad. The likes of Steve Smith, Adam Zampa, Marcus Stoinis, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis and Sean Abbott, meanwhile, have seemingly been withdrawn from the squad.
According to a statement by Cricket Australia, Steve Smith and Adam Zampa have already departed for Australia, with the rest of the departing members set to leave tomorrow (Wednesday, November 29). Ben Dwarshius and Chris Green will join the squad ahead of the fourth T20I in Raipur.
Travis Head, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Adam Zampa, Sean Abbott, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis and even Tanveer Sangha were involved across both the aforementioned assignments, and have been on Indian soil for well over two months.
It is to be noted that these players were also involved in a five-match ODI series against South Africa during the build-up to the World Cup.
Australia scheduled to play third T20I against India on November 28
The Men in Yellow have to win each of the remaining three matches in the series to overturn the 0-2 deficit. The visitors have lost to the second-string Indian squad led by Suryakumar Yadav in two high-scoring affairs so far.
Team India pulled off their highest successful T20I run chase in the series opener in Vishakapatnam. They followed that up by scoring one of their highest T20I scores en route to a 44-run win at Thiruvananthapuram.
The two sides will lock horns in the third T20I of the series at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Tuesday, November 28.
India squad:
Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad (Vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (Wk), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dubey, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.
Australia squad:
Matthew Wade (c), Jason Behrendorff, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Chris Green, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Ben McDermott, Josh Philippe, Tanveer Sangha, Matt Short, Kane Richardson.
Will Team India win the third T20I of the series to claim an unassailable lead? Let us know what you think.