In what’s bound to be a good news for the Australian camp, all-rounder Marcus Stoinis could be available for selection for the upcoming game against Bangladesh, much earlier than what was expected of him.
The Aussie was ruled out of the previous two matches in the 2019 ICC World Cup owing to a side strain that he suffered during their loss to India a week ago. But the 29-year-old was seen in good shape as the Australians hit the nets in Trent Bridge on the eve of their game against Bangladesh.
“Not definitely, he's a chance (to feature in the game)," said the Aussie coach Justin Langer talking to Cricket Australia, when asked about Stoinis' status ahead of the match. "It looked like he moved really well batting.
"We've been monitoring him. He's an elite athlete, he's an elite professional. He's done everything possible to get himself fit. He wouldn't give up the opportunity for anything, would he? He's determined so it doesn't surprise me with where he's at now. It's a credit to him, it's a credit to the medical staff that are getting him up. So hopefully he can have a real impact on the tournament."
With Stoinis out, Australia chose to bring in a specialist batsman in Shaun Marsh and relied heavily on their part-time spinner to get through the middle overs. And Langer was happy with what he’s seen so far. “That was more brought upon us because 'Stoin' became injured," said Langer. "What was more exciting was how the two quicks took wickets in the middle overs. We know in one-day cricket you've got to take wickets in the middle overs. There's not many wickets falling up front in this tournament. And the way our quicks pulled it back in the middle overs against Pakistan and Sri Lanka was brilliant.”
Up against Bangladesh, the Aussies will be against the best all-rounder in the world, Shakib al Hasan, a man who’s been in tremendous form at the World Cup so far. “Well, we've got our plans against him, but he's playing well," said Langer. "I think he is the No.1 allrounder in the world, it's no surprise. He's a very good cricketer. But we'll be prepared for him,” said the Aussie coach talking about their plans to tackle Shakib.
But if you are to keep Shakib out, the Bangladeshi set up is a relatively new one at the World Cup, with most playing their first World Cup. But Langer wasn’t worried about the problem that this would throw. "We haven't played against them and when we do play against them they are usually in their conditions," said Langer. "We've watched them closely, we've researched them closely. It's a really important game for us in the scheme of the competition. They all are, but this one in particular, the way it's starting to open up a little bit on the table. We'll be well prepared and all our boys know that."
Feature image courtesy: AFP Photo/ Paul Ellis
