Several changes in Australia T20I squad in India; Smith, Zampa already left

PTI, Nov 28, 2023, 1:43 PM IST

Almost half of the Australian team currently playing in the T20 International series in India will return home after the third match here with Travis Head being the lone member of the World Cup winning side to stay put for the remaining two games.

India are 2-0 up in the five-match series. After Tuesday’s match, the fourth and fifth T20Is will be played in Raipur (December 1) and Bengaluru (December 3).

Seven members from Australia’s ODI World Cup winning team stayed back in India after the final on November 19 for the five-match T20I series. But six of the seven players will not feature in the Raipur and Bengaluru matches.

Adam Zampa, who finished the World Cup with 23 wickets and equalled Muttiah Muralitharan’s record for most wickets by a spinner in a single edition, has already flown back home, along with Steve Smith.

Four other players — Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Josh Inglis and Sean Abbott — are scheduled to return to Australia after Tuesday’s match in Guwahati.

Wicketkeeper-batter Josh Phillippe and big-hitter Ben McDermott have already joined the Australian squad and are available for Tuesday’s third T20I.

Ben Dwarshuis and spinner Chris Green will join the squad in Raipur ahead of the fourth match.

Australia’s updated 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.