Australia vs New Zealand: Stoinis Ruled Out of 3rd ODI Against Newzealand

AUS vs NZ 3rd ODI: Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out of the last ODI against New Zealand, and the successful David-Warner-Aaron Finch opening combo will not play again after Warner was dismissed from Australia’s team to manage his workload.

Stoinis will miss the last game of the Chappell-Hadlee series because of a minor side strain. He will return to Perth to attempt to heal in time for the short T20I tour of India, which begins late next week, although side injuries may be difficult to overcome in such a short time frame. Nathan Ellis, a pace bowler who has played three One-Day Internationals, has been named into the team for the last game in Cairns on Sunday.

Warner’s absence means that Finch, who announced his retirement on Saturday, will have a different opening partner for his last ODI. With 3788 runs, including 12-century stands, the combination will end as Australia’s fourth-most productive tandem.

Marnus Labuschagne is a possible replacement for Finch. Josh Inglis, who replaced Marsh, is the squad’s spare batter, while Cameron Green may be available again after missing the second game due to cramping sustained in the first.

Stoinis is Australia’s second allrounder to be injured in the recent few weeks, with Mitchell Marsh returning home after the first match against Zimbabwe to nursing a slight ankle ailment, despite signs that he will be fit for the India visit.

Stoinis replaced James Neesham in the second ODI on Thursday but was then taken from the field as the victory was clinched.

While all of the attention has been on Finch’s problems, Stoinis’ performances have also been disappointing. He has 308 runs in 19 ODI innings at 17.11 since the start of the 2019 World Cup.

Both Stoinis and Marsh were instrumental in Australia’s T20 World Cup victory last year. Marsh established himself as the team’s No. 3 despite missing the setback to England, and Stoinis established himself as a middle-order finisher alongside Matthew Wade. The duo also offers useful pace-bowling alternatives. However, there is the question of how Australia will fit Tim David into their lineup for this year’s event.