Australia’s fast bowler Mitchell Starc is back in contention for the opening day-night test against India this week after opting to rejoin the team on Sunday after a compassionate leave of absence. Starc, the most prolific player in the short history of pink ball test cricket with 42, missed the last two games of the Twenty20 International (T20I) series after an unspecified family illness. But he will rejoin the team in Adelaide on Monday, giving him just two full days to prepare. “We are sorry for Mitch at this difficult time and we are happy that he took time to spend with his family,” said coach Justin Langer.
“We look forward to welcoming him back to the team on Monday.”
“It’s obviously great news for us that Starcy is coming tomorrow,” said Josh Hazlewood. “It’s a big part of our team and a big part of our attack.
“Everyone knows that his numbers with the pink ball are very special, so we welcome him with open arms.
“If we’ve learned anything from this show, it’s that nothing goes according to plan.
“We are always struggling with schedules, travel and other things.
If Starc doesn’t feel ready to line up alongside Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins in Adelaide, James Pattinson and Michael Neser are on the team and on hold.
Promoted
Australia Test Equipment: Tim Paine (c), Sean Abbott, Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson , Matthew Wade, David Warner
India Test Equipment: Virat Kohli (c) (first round only), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (week), Rishabh Pant (week), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj
Topics mentioned in this article