Steve Smith appears to be well placed to return to Australia’s batting lineup for the second ODI against England on Sunday after passing a second concussion test in Manchester.
Smith belatedly pulled out of the opener of Friday’s series after taking a hit to the head in the nets on the eve of the game and was replaced at No. 3 by Marcus Stoinis, who impressed with 43 promising innings from 34 deliveries in a difficult terrain of new ball. .
A spokesman for Cricket Australia said Smith was cleared after the first concussion evaluation on Friday and that the decision to put him on standby was a precautionary measure, adding that the right-hander passed a second concussion test on Saturday.
He will continue to be monitored before Sunday’s game.
“I think it was a good decision in the end,” all-rounder Mitch Marsh said of Smith’s absence for the first game of the series.
“You don’t need to take unnecessary risks with head injuries.
“It’s probably giving our selection committee some headaches now because the higher order hit them wonderfully, without getting a great score.
“Whenever you have Steve Smith coming back to the team, it’s a great feeling.”
Smith’s blow to the head came about 13 months after he was brought down by a Jofra Archer goalie at Lord’s during the ashes of last year. That hit caused him to miss the second inning of that Test, as well as the third Test of the series before returning with a match-winning double century in the fourth Test.
Marsh said Smith would appreciate a short ball attack if England’s sprinters choose to target him with that approach upon his return.
“Absolutely, I’m looking forward to that,” Marsh said with a smile.
“Anyone bowling at 150 km per hour loves the challenge, so there will be no turning back from Steve Smith, I know that 100 percent for sure.”
Mitchell Starc, meanwhile, was clearly in some discomfort Friday with pain in his upper leg that he suffered when he slipped on the field, but his left arm is expected to play on Sunday.
Aaron Finch’s team completed a 19-run win over the world champions in the first ODI and have now enjoyed success in two of their last three 50-year matches against their oldest cricket rival, dating back to the Cup. of the World last year in England.
Whether or not it represents a turning point in Eoin Morgan’s recent dominance of men remains to be seen; England have won 11 of their last 14 meetings with Australia.
However, with the momentum in Australia’s favor and the opportunity to claim a bilateral ODI series victory over England for the first time since 2015, as well as continuing a strong start in the qualification process for the 2023 World Cup, the The presence, or even the absence, of Smith and Starc could well be decisive.
“Our one-day team has been under a bit of pressure lately, so it was good for us to respond with a big win in the first game.” Marsh said.
“We are just one win away from a series win, so it’s a big carrot for us.”
– with Adam Burnett
England Tour 2020
Australian ODI and T20 Team: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc , Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Squad of England T20I: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Joe Denly, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood. Reservations: Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood
Squad of England ODI: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonathan Bairstow, Tom Banton, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood. Reservations: Joe Denly, Saqib Mahmood
First T20: England won by two races
Second T20: England won by six wickets with seven balls to spare
Third T20: Australia won by five wickets with three balls to spare
First ODI: Australia won by 19 races
September 13th: 2nd ODI, Old Trafford, 10 pm AEST
16 of September: 3rd ODI, Old Trafford, 10 pm AEST
