Australia batsman David Warner has been ruled out of the rest of the white-ball matches against India due to a groin injury and faces a fitness battle to be ready for the first Test at Adelaide Oval on December 17.
Cricket Australia said on Monday that Warner, who suffered the injury in the field during Australia's 51-run ODI win on Sunday, would be rested in the hope of being fit for the four-Test series against Virat Kohli's side.
Fast bowler Pat Cummins has also been withdrawn from the white-ball series to freshen up before the tests.
"Pat and Davie are critical to our plans for the Test series,” head coach Justin Langer said in a team release.
“Davie will work through his injury rehab and in Pat’s case it is important all of our players are managed well to keep them mentally and physically fit throughout what is a challenging summer."
Opener D’Arcy Short has replaced Warner in Australia's Twenty20 squad, but no replacement has been made for Cummins as yet.
All-rounder Marcus Stoinis remains with the squad as he continues his recovery from a side strain.
Australia's win in Sydney sealed the three-match ODI series 2-0.
The teams play the dead rubber third match in Canberra on Wednesday before starting the three-match T20 series.
Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne is ready to step up in Warner's absence and open the batting for Australia in the remaining white-ball matches against India if called upon.
Labuschagne scored 70 off 61 balls batting at four in Sunday's win in the second one-day international in Sydney.
"He's been a massive part of us winning this series and it is not great that we've lost him but like anything, it provides an opportunity for someone else to step up in the top order and make runs," Labuschagne told reporters on Monday.
"Certainly, if I got asked to open the batting, absolutely it's an opportunity that I would enjoy doing. But we'll have to wait and see."
Warner's absence for the Test series would open the door for young talent Will Pucovski to debut with incumbent opener Joe Burns.
Burns has had a run of low scores in the domestic Sheffield Shield but Labuschagne, who bats at three in the Test side, backed his Queensland team mate to rise to the occasion if Warner remained sidelined.
"Joe's averaging 40 in test cricket, so he's certainly established and he's got four test hundreds. He's a very good player," said Labuschagne.
"Although he hasn't scored the runs in Shield cricket that he'd like, he got 99 against Pakistan in the first Test last summer and he negotiated through that new ball period almost every time last summer, so he's not really far away from a couple of really big scores."
- Reuters
Australia's Warner out of white-ball series, Test status uncertain
Image: Cameron Spencer / Getty Images
Australia batsman David Warner has been ruled out of the rest of the white-ball matches against India due to a groin injury and faces a fitness battle to be ready for the first Test at Adelaide Oval on December 17.
Cricket Australia said on Monday that Warner, who suffered the injury in the field during Australia's 51-run ODI win on Sunday, would be rested in the hope of being fit for the four-Test series against Virat Kohli's side.
Fast bowler Pat Cummins has also been withdrawn from the white-ball series to freshen up before the tests.
"Pat and Davie are critical to our plans for the Test series,” head coach Justin Langer said in a team release.
“Davie will work through his injury rehab and in Pat’s case it is important all of our players are managed well to keep them mentally and physically fit throughout what is a challenging summer."
Opener D’Arcy Short has replaced Warner in Australia's Twenty20 squad, but no replacement has been made for Cummins as yet.
All-rounder Marcus Stoinis remains with the squad as he continues his recovery from a side strain.
Australia's win in Sydney sealed the three-match ODI series 2-0.
The teams play the dead rubber third match in Canberra on Wednesday before starting the three-match T20 series.
Meanwhile, Marnus Labuschagne is ready to step up in Warner's absence and open the batting for Australia in the remaining white-ball matches against India if called upon.
Labuschagne scored 70 off 61 balls batting at four in Sunday's win in the second one-day international in Sydney.
"He's been a massive part of us winning this series and it is not great that we've lost him but like anything, it provides an opportunity for someone else to step up in the top order and make runs," Labuschagne told reporters on Monday.
"Certainly, if I got asked to open the batting, absolutely it's an opportunity that I would enjoy doing. But we'll have to wait and see."
Warner's absence for the Test series would open the door for young talent Will Pucovski to debut with incumbent opener Joe Burns.
Burns has had a run of low scores in the domestic Sheffield Shield but Labuschagne, who bats at three in the Test side, backed his Queensland team mate to rise to the occasion if Warner remained sidelined.
"Joe's averaging 40 in test cricket, so he's certainly established and he's got four test hundreds. He's a very good player," said Labuschagne.
"Although he hasn't scored the runs in Shield cricket that he'd like, he got 99 against Pakistan in the first Test last summer and he negotiated through that new ball period almost every time last summer, so he's not really far away from a couple of really big scores."
- Reuters
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