The farewell ODI series of Australia captain Alyssa Healy has been marred by injuries to key players. All-rounder Ellyse Perry and pacer Kim Garth have been ruled out of the three-ODI series after they picked up injuries in the third T20I of the series.
In Perry and Garth’s absence, veteran pacer Megan Schutt and 19-year-old uncapped all-rounder Lucy Hamilton have been added to the squad.
"I just picked up a bit of a niggle across the T20 series and getting up here in Brissy, I had a scan. It's probably just one of those ones where I've got to let it settle for a little bit, and we'll just see where we get to over the next week or so. We started some running today, and that all went pretty well. So it's pretty minor on the scheme of things, but with a condensed schedule, it just depends how it responds to a few different things," Perry told Channel 7 during the first ODI at Allan Border Field, Brisbane on February 24.
Ellyse and Kim are doubtful for the only Test of the all-format series which starts on March 6 at Perth Stadium.
ALSO READ: 'Both teams have lost games, so...': Skipper Sikandar Raza on India clash after 107-run loss
Ellyse was not at her best in the ODI series, registering scores of 20, 7 and 1. She didn't bowl a single over. On the other hand, picked up two wickets in a winning cause in the second T20I. She remained wicketless in the first and bagged one scalp in the series decider.
Ellyse and Kim’s replacements
Schutt walked in to the playing eleven. She made an impact straightaway, dismissing opener Pratika Rawal for a two-ball duck on her comeback.
Meanwhile, Hamilton played a T20 for Governor-General’s XI against India. She bowled three overs, conceded 12 runs and bagged the wicket of opener Shafali Verma in a losing cause.
The 19-year-old made her Women's Premier League (WPL) debut earlier this year. From two games, she scored 36 runs and remained wicketless.
Australia’s updated ODI squad for India series -
Alyssa Healy (c), Phoebe Litchfield, Georgia Voll, Beth Mooney (wk), Annabel Sutherland, Ashleigh Gardner, Tahlia McGrath, Sophie Molineux, Alana King,
Megan Schutt, Darcie Brown, Georgia Wareham, Nicola Carey, Lucy Hamilton.