Australia in Deep Trouble; Cummins & Richardson To Miss Part Of India Tour
Smith led Australia to their first win on this tour (Twitter)
In a massive blow for Australia, promising seamer Jhye Richardson has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against India due to a recurrence of his hamstring injury.
He is also doubtful for the upcoming Indian Premier League season, where he was set to represent Mumbai Indians.
Notably, Richardson developed the injury earlier during the Big Bash League, following which he was sidelined from the tournament.
He missed the finals of the BBL 12, being permanently replaced by the likes of David Payne and Lance Morris.
The seamer took more than two months to recover from the injury, as a result of which he couldn't participate in Australia's prime domestic competitions, the Marsh Cup and Sheffield Shield.
However, as he showed positive signs in the nets, the 26-year-old was included in the Australian squad for the India ODIs, scheduled right after the ongoing Test series.
But as he has been left out, Nathan Ellis has been named his replacement for the much-awaited series.
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia has confirmed that skipper Pat Cummins won't travel back to India for the Ahmedabad Test. So, Steve Smith will continue to lead the side.
Also, his participation in the ODI series is in jeopardy, given his ailing mother's constantly deteriorating health.
However, despite his absence, Australia still have a decent bowling unit, studded with Mitchell Starc, Sean Abbott, Nathan Ellis and Adam Zampa.
So, they will look to conclude the tour on a high note by winning the ODI series starting the seventeenth of this month.
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