Steve Smith’s Australian cricket team arrive in batches ahead of India series

Australia’s cricket team arrived in two batches in Chennai for the upcoming five-match ODI and three Twenty20 International series against India

The Australian players reached Chennai in two separate batches ahead of their limited-overs series against India starting September 17. Australia will take on India in a five-match ODI series and a three-match T20I affair having already played an intense four-Test series earlier this year.

Steve Smith’s Australian cricket team held on for a 1-1 draw in the two-Test series against Bangladesh and the team arrived in India in two batches ahead of the ODI and T20I series.(AFP)

The first batch of Australian players included Aaron Finch, Marcus Stoinis, Travis Head, Adam Zampa, Kane Richardson and James Faulkner. Nathan Coulter-Nile had travelled from Australia and reached Chennai on Friday evening, reported cricket.com.au.

The second and final batch consisted seven players — Steven Smith, David Warner, Glenn Maxwell, Ashton Agar, Matthew Wade, Pat Cummins and Hilton Cartwright — reached Chennai on Saturday from Bangladesh, where they were busy in a two-match Test series.

Australian players will start training on Sunday and will play a warm-up match on September 12 ahead of the ODI series. Gurkeerat Singh Mann will lead the Indian Board President’s XI in the only warm-up match.

Australia head coach Darren Lehmann will be missing their ODI series in India. Lehmann has taken the decision in order to give himself time to formulate plans for the Ashes 2017-18 scheduled to be played Down Under from November 23 onwards.

In 2013, Lehmann had taken a break from the ODI series between India and Australia in India owing to strengthen preparations for the Ashes 2013-14, a series in which his side hammered England 5-0.

Australia’s tour of India

Warm-up game – 12th September – Chennai

1st ODI – 17th September – Chennai

2nd ODI – 21th September – Kolkata

3rd ODI – 24th September – Indore

4th ODI – 28th September – Bengaluru

5th ODI – 1st October – Nagpur

1st T20I – 7th October – Ranchi

2nd T20I – 10th October – Guwahati

3rd T20I – 13th October – Hyderabad