IND Vs AUS: Australia All-Rounder Regains Peak Fitness Ahead Of Their World Cup Opener

Australia has received a significant boost as their star all-rounder, Marcus Stoinis, has successfully recovered from a hamstring injury in time for their crucial opening match against India in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. The match will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Marcus Stoinis’ participation in the India game had been uncertain due to the hamstring injury he sustained during the first ODI of the series against India, which also forced him to miss the series and two warm-up matches. However, the talented all-rounder’s recent performance during Australia’s net session at Chepauk provided clear evidence of his regained fitness.

During the session, Stoinis displayed no signs of discomfort and engaged in a rigorous practice routine. He bowled for more than 40 minutes and followed it up with a batting session that lasted nearly an hour, indicating his readiness for the upcoming clash against India.

Marcus Stoinis Ready For India-Australia Clash

While Australia’s head coach, Andrew McDonald, had initially expressed concerns about Stoinis’ fitness, the dedicated training session has erased any doubts regarding his availability for the India match.

“He’s got a slight hamstring complaint at this stage, so that’s why he missed the practice games and he’ll be touch and go for the first game against India,” Australia coach Andrew McDonald said in Chennai on Thursday while talking about Stoinis.

“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 but at the moment he wasn’t fit and available for those practice games,” he added

Despite Stoinis’ recovery, the selection for the playing XI remains intriguing, as Australia boasts a plethora of all-rounders. The competition for the final spot in the XI could come down to a showdown between Marcus Stoinis and Cameron Green. If Australia decides to field both Stoinis and Green, they might have to omit Josh Hazlewood from the lineup.

“There’s a way that we can fit them both into the one side,” he said. “Over the last 18 months,
we’ve had a pretty clear way that we want to build three ways of playing. One of those ways is
definitely with all the allrounders and potentially two quicks, and you’ve seen that side in the past 18 months being played, so there is a real possibility that both of those players can be in the same XI and we haven’t ruled that out,” McDonald hinted.

McDonald’s statement suggests that Australia is open to different tactical approaches and remains focused on fielding the best possible team for their World Cup campaign. Australia have had an upper edge against India in World Cup matches.

India and Australia have clashed 12 times at the World Cup with Australia winning eight out of those 12 matches. They will look to extend this lead on Sunday but the Indian team possesses quite a threat with the given home advantage.