Australia suffered a major blow as Australian pacer Mitchell Starc and allrounder Glenn Maxwell are set to miss tomorrows opening One-Day International (ODI) encounter against India at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali.While Australian ace batter Steve Smith and skipper Pat Cummins will be available. Earlier, the availability of the players was in question, as the players confirmed their availability in the press conference today. As per the reports, Smith had sustained a wrist injury during the Ashes and batted for nearly two hours in a net session.Some positive news on the injury front for Australia with Pat Cummins set to return for tomorrows first ODI against India, and hes hopeful of playing all three matches in the series! The skipper also provided updates on Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell | #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/h2Xk6YZwcJ— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) September 21, 2023 Steve Smith is fitTalking about Smiths fitness, Pat Cummins said, “He is all good and he will play tomorrow. He has got a few good hits and he looks 100 percent fit”.Austraila has already lost the services of explosive batter Travis Head after he fractured his hand and his participation in the ODI World Cup 2023 is also under scrutiny.Pat Cummins said, “In terms of a long list, (Mitchell) Starcy isnt available. We will give plenty of game time to everyone, but also keep an eye on the World Cup”.The Australian captain, Pat Cummins, said that the left-arm quick bowler is still experiencing “groin soreness” following his trip to the United Kingdom (UK) for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final and the Ashes tour.Glenn Maxwells availabilityConcluding the press conference, he cleared the fitness status of Glenn Maxwell, “I hope Maxi (Glenn Maxwell) comes back later in the series, but the other 3 guys (Cameron Green, Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh) are bowling fantastic. So feeling confident”.As they are on paternity leave, Maxwell and Ashton Agar have not yet arrived but are expected to join the Australian team later in the series.Within the next week, Australia will play three one-day internationals at Rajkot, Rajkot, and Indore. The Kangaroos will then begin putting together their lineup for the ODI World Cup. Australias World Cup campaign will also get underway on October 8 against India at Chennais MA Chidambaram Stadium.
