Australia To Have Marcus Stoinis for Key World Cup Match Against South Africa
Australia received a significant boost as all-rounder Marcus Stoinis returned ahead of their crucial World Cup match against South Africa in Lucknow. Stoinis had been sidelined with a hamstring injury, which he sustained during the bilateral ODI series against India last month, causing him to miss Australia’s World Cup opener against the host nation.
The absence of Stoinis and Travis Head, who is recovering from a wrist injury, left Australia with just 13 fit players to choose from for their World Cup campaign. However, Glenn Maxwell, another prominent Australian all-rounder, confirmed that Stoinis was ready for selection in the upcoming match against South Africa.
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Maxwell expressed, “He was pretty touch and go for that first game, and I think with the travel and the timings of the training sessions, he probably only missed the first game by a day. He’ll be good to go. This is his home ground in the IPL, so hopefully he’ll enjoy being back out there in a couple of days’ time. He’s excited and frustrated he couldn’t be out there for the first game. He’s someone who obviously is a match-winner and someone you need in these types of tournaments.”
Although Stoinis’ recent ODI form has raised concerns, with an average of 16.80 since the 2019 World Cup in England, he is known for his ability to finish matches with the bat and make valuable contributions with the ball, making him a vital asset to the Australian team.
As the Australians prepare for the crucial match against South Africa, they are yet to finalize their starting XI. All-rounder Cameron Green is facing the risk of being dropped after a less-than-ideal performance against India in Chennai.
Maxwell emphasized the team’s determination to bounce back, saying, “It hurts losing games, it makes you more fired up to come out and hit the ground running in the next one. You just want to keep winning, you want to get some momentum moving forward in the tournament.”
