Marcus Stoinis replaces Mitchell Marsh in Australia squad for the last two Tests

Dynamic hard-hitting all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been drafted in the Australian squad for the final Two tests of the India tour. Stoinis has been flown in the squad as a replacement for all-rounder Mitchell Marsh. Marsh has been ruled out of the series due to a shoulder injury. Coming into the tour, he had a sore shoulder. Despite the soreness, Marsh decided to go on with the tour hoping that things would ease out with time.

However, now he was forced to head back Australia because of the sustained injury. Considering the first two Tests of the series, Marsh was not given the opportunity to bowl too much. He had handful of overs to his name in the Pune and Bengaluru Test. He failed to light up the stage with his batting either.

The visitors will now hope that the team strength feels the boost with Marcus Stoinis being drafted in. Stoinis has been in a good form in the recent times and his whirlwind 146 in an ODI fixture against New Zealand recently is still afresh in the minds of the cricket fans. He is a regular name in the domestic setup in Australia.

If the Aussies field him in the third Test at Ranchi, it will be his Test debut. Team Australia head coach Darren Lehmann looked very excited at the arrival of Stoinis and believes the all-rounder has every opportunity to seize it with both hands. He rightly quoted that the all-rounder has some serious power.

“We have seen in one day cricket that he has got the power. It was just the belief for him. Now he has got the belief, the world is his oyster, so it is up to him to keep kicking goals and away he goes,” quoted Darren Lehmann.

Marcus Stoinis has the experience of playing in the Indian conditions. He was a key member of the Kings XI Punjab franchise in the previous edition of the IPL. Talking about the series, the contest looks evenly balanced with both sides having a game to their name. It was Australia who had thumped India in the Pune Test, and later the hosts turned the tables in the Bengaluru Test recently to set the stage for the Ranchi Test to be an exciting contest.