India vs Australia: Shaun Marsh set to return for 2nd ODI

Australia’s senior most batsman in the current setup Shaun Marsh has landed in India after the birth of his second child. Rebecca Marsh, Shaun Marsh’ wife, gave birth to Mabel Rose Marsh on 26th February. The birth of his girl child delayed Marsh’s journey to India and he had to stay out of the XI for the first game.

The 35-year-old is also recovering from a hamstring injury but is set for a return to the XI for the second ODI which will be played on Tuesday. Nagpur will play hosts to Tuesday’s encounter and the Aussies will be determined to come back on level after a below-par performance in Hyderabad.

Ashton Turner might be shown the cold shoulder with the senior man back in the fray. Marsh has been Australia’s most consistent top-order batsman in the ODI format in the last 12 months scoring at an average of 47.83 including three centuries at the No.3 position and he is expected to take up a key position in the World Cup squad.

His return would also mean that Marcus Stoinis, who played at number 3, will slip a position and come in at number 4 for the team’s benefit. They also have the services of Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Carey and Nathan Coulter-Nile in the middle order but apart from Maxwell, their recent form has been a huge concern for skipper Aaron Finch.

Can India continue their winning run in Nagpur?

The Indian contingent is currently on a roll and will be eager to continue the momentum as the ODI series progresses. The Men in Blue have faced Australia thrice at the VCA stadium and won all three of them in 2009, 2013 and 2017. Going by the current form of both teams, the hosts appear favorites to make it 4-0.

Skipper Aaron Finch‘s form off-late has been a massive headache for the Aussies. He scored just one fifty in the last 23 innings and could muster only 255 runs. Although David Warner and Steve Smith are set to return at the end of this month, skipper going through such a diabolic phase is no good sign for any side.

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