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New Delhi: Senior pacer Mitchell Starc made his comeback in ODIs as Australia announced their squads for the upcoming white-ball series against India on Tuesday, October 07. Australia named full-strength squads in both ODIs and T20Is for the India series, however, skipper Pat Cummins’ absence became a major talking point.

Cummins was not included in the ODI and the T20I squads for the series, with his absence creating intrigue. The premier pacer has been leading Australia in ODIs for a while and has been tremendously successful. However, the decision not to include him in the squads for the India series has been made by Cricket Australia (CA) to manage the pacer’s workload ahead of the all-important Ashes series later this year. Cummins has been left out due to a recurring injury issue.

Why is Pat Cummins not part of Australia’s squads for white-ball series against India?

Cummins will miss the ODI and T20I series against India owing to a lumbar bone stress injury. The Aussie ODI skipper is currently recovering from the injury that he sustained earlier this year. He is facing a race against time to be fit for the Ashes 2025-26 against England, and Cricket Australia (CA) has decided to prioritise the pacer’s long-term fitness over short-term gains.

Amid his rehabilitation program, CA has decided not to rush Cummins into action in the white-ball series against India that gets underway from October 19. The decision has also been influenced majorly by CA’s desire to have a fully fit Cummins available for the Ashes, where the pacer is expected to play a key role for Australia.

Who will lead Australia in Pat Cummins’ absence?

In Cummins’ absence, T20I skipper Mitchell Marsh will lead Australia in ODIs as well. Marsh has been in fine form with the bat for Australia of late and led the Aussies to a thumping 2-0 series victory in the recently concluded T20I series against New Zealand. Marsh slammed 197 runs in three matches to finish as the highest run-getter in the series against New Zealand.

Marsh will look to continue his stellar run in the home series against India. As far as the leadership role in ODIs is concerned, Marsh will have support from experienced players like Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head and Josh Inglis, among others, who are part of the ODI squad. The three-match ODI series between India and Australia will be followed by a five-match T20I series.