Australia has made numerous roster changes for the final T20I series against India. In order to manage their workload after the victorious ODI World Cup campaign, six members of Australia’s World Cup-winning squad will be rested for the duration of the next five-match T20I series against India.
The decision was made to give the players a break after they had been in India for nearly two months. The majority of these players were also members of Australia’s One-Day International team, who played a three-match series against India before the World Cup.
The only member of Australia’s World Cup-winning side who will participate in the remaining T20Is is Travis Head. Head, who was named Player of the Match in the World Cup final, is yet to appear in this series and would likely open the innings against India in the 3rd T20 game.
Australia have undergone substantial alterations as selectors explore options for the next three games of the five-game series. Steve Smith and Adam Zampa have reportedly returned home ahead of the third match tonight in Guwahati, while Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis, and Sean Abbott are scheduled to return tomorrow.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Phillippe and big-hitter Ben McDermott have arrived in Guwahati and are now eligible for selection. Offspinners Ben Dwarshuis and Chris Green are expected to join the squad on Wednesday before the fourth T20I in Raipur. Green will make his Twenty20 International debut in the fourth match as the Australian team’s management determined that they needed a specialist finger spinner on their roster.
Australia is currently behind 0-2 in the series after losing the first two games against a strong Indian batting squad. Smith was the only member of Australia’s World Cup-winning XI to play in both Twenty20 Internationals. Stoinis and Abbott, who were part of the World Cup squad but did not play much, played both matches.
Glenn Maxwell and Adam Zampa returned for the second T20I, but they were unable to turn the tide for Australia. Even before the series began, David Warner was dropped from the T20I squad.
Updated Australia T20 squad for India series: 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 and Kane Richardson