Zampa, Inglis to Miss First ODI Against India in Perth; Kuhnemann, Philippe Called Up

Australia will be without legspinner Adam Zampa and wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis for the opening ODI against India in Perth on Sunday. Matthew Kuhnemann and Josh Philippe have been drafted into the squad as replacements.

Zampa will stay home in northern New South Wales as his wife, Harriet, is expecting their second child. Due to Perth’s geographical isolation, Cricket Australia (CA) has allowed Zampa to remain at home, with plans for him to return for the second and third ODIs in Adelaide and Sydney, respectively. He is also expected to feature in the upcoming five-match T20I series, which will be played entirely on the east coast.

Inglis, meanwhile, has not recovered from a calf strain sustained during a running session in Perth over four weeks ago. He has also been ruled out of the second ODI in Adelaide but could be fit for the third in Sydney on October 25. With Inglis unavailable, Philippe is set to don the gloves in an ODI for the first time. Regular keeper Alex Carey will miss the Perth fixture as he is playing in a Sheffield Shield match for South Australia, focusing on his Ashes preparations.

This marks a rare ODI opportunity for Philippe, who last played in the format during the 2021 tour of the Caribbean. Since then, he has impressed in domestic cricket and red-ball matches for Australia A. He recently missed two Shield games due to international call-ups and is seen as a key backup option in the short term.

Kuhnemann, meanwhile, is set to play his first ODI on home soil and his first in three years. The left-arm spinner has been part of Australia's squads across all formats throughout a busy winter, including the World Test Championship final, Caribbean tours, and home series against South Africa. However, he has played just one international match in that stretch — a T20I in Jamaica in July. In domestic one-day cricket, he has been consistent for Tasmania and even scored an impressive 56 not out earlier this season.

Australia’s selectors are also juggling player workloads ahead of the Ashes. Cameron Green will play the first two ODIs but could miss the third in order to participate in a Shield match starting October 28. Green is not expected to bowl during the ODIs as he gradually builds his bowling workload.

Carey, a key figure in Australia's ODI setup, will rejoin the team for the second match in Adelaide. He missed South Australia’s Shield opener after being drafted into the squad for the New Zealand tour as a late replacement for Inglis.

Australia ODI Squad vs India:

Mitchell Marsh (capt), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (wk), Matthew Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe (wk), Matt Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa