Australia has been forced to make a late change to their ODI squad for the upcoming three-match series against India, with all-rounder Cameron Green ruled out due to a minor side strain. In his place, Marnus Labuschagne has been called up to join the squad.
Green experienced discomfort during training this week, prompting Cricket Australia to take a cautious approach, especially with the Ashes series against England on the horizon. The 26-year-old is expected to return to cricket in Western Australia's next Sheffield Shield match on October 28. A Cricket Australia spokesperson stated that Green will undergo a short period of rehabilitation and is expected to be fit for the Ashes series.
This setback follows Green's recent return to bowling after undergoing spinal surgery last October, where doctors fused his L4 vertebrae. He had only just returned to bowling in competitive cricket, taking 1-13 from four overs during Western Australia's Sheffield Shield match against NSW last week. The current side soreness is not related to his previous surgery.
Marnus Labuschagne's inclusion comes after a string of impressive performances in the domestic season. He has scored four centuries for Queensland, including two in the one-day format. His recent scores of 130 against Victoria and 105 against Tasmania have strengthened his case for inclusion in the playing XI. Labuschagne also scored 159 at Adelaide Oval in the Sheffield Shield.
Labuschagne had initially been omitted from the squad for the India series following scores of 1 and 1 against South Africa in August 2025. However, his recent form has earned him a recall.
Australia is already managing several injuries within the squad. Wicketkeeper Josh Inglis is recovering from a calf strain and will be replaced by Josh Philippe. Adam Zampa will miss the first ODI for personal reasons, with Matthew Kuhnemann stepping in. Captain Pat Cummins is also recovering from a back injury and is not part of the ODI squad. Sean Abbott is nursing a hand injury, and Brendan Doggett has a hamstring issue. Jhye Richardson, recovering from shoulder surgery, bowled a lengthy spell during the ODI squad’s first training session in Perth on Thursday.
The first ODI between Australia and India is scheduled for October 19 at Perth Stadium. The second ODI will be held on October 23 at the Adelaide Oval, and the third ODI will take place on October 25 at the SCG in Sydney.
The Australian squad for the ODI series is as follows: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Matthew Short, and Mitchell Starc. For games two and three, Adam Zampa, Alex Carey and Josh Inglis will be available.
India's squad includes Shubman Gill (c), Shreyas Iyer (vc), K L Rahul (wk), Virat Kohli, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Axar Patel, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, and Mohammed Siraj.
