Queensland spinner Matt Kuhnemann debuts for Australia in the Second ODI against Sri Lanka, after Ashton Agar and Marcus Stoinis were ruled out with injury
Kuhnemann handed debut as Head, Swepson return
Matthew Kuhnemann will become the Australian men’s team’s 237th ODI representative after Marnus Labuschagne presented him with his green and gold cap in Kandy on Thursday afternoon.
Aaron Finch won the toss and elected to field first in the second ODI against Sri Lanka, with Travis Head and Mitchell Swepson also returning to the XI after Marcus Stoinis and Ashton Agar were both injured during the visitors’ tense win in Game One.
Kuhnemann, who was the leading spinner during last season’s Sheffield Shield campaign, will play as the second spinner behind fellow Queenslander Swepson (who only made his ODI debut earlier this year) to form an inexperienced spin duo.
Sri Lanka XI: Danushka Gunathilaka, Pathum Nissanka, Charith Asalanka, Kusal Mendis (wk), Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka (capt), Chamika Karunaratne, Jeffrey Vandersay, Dunith Wellalage, Dushmantha Chameera, Maheesh Theekshana
Australia XI: Aaron Finch (c), David Warner, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Alex Carey (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Swepson, Josh Hazlewood, Matthew Kuhnemann
The 25-year-old Kuhnemann, from the Gold Coast, surged into the injury-stricken ODI squad having been pulled from the ongoing Australia A game in Hambantota, where Victorian Jon Holland will join the squad as a replacement.
Agar, Stoinis (both with side strains), Mitchell Starc (finger), Mitch Marsh (hamstring), Sean Abbott (finger) and Adam Zampa (away for birth of his first child) are all unavailable, while Cameron Green is being managed and available only as a specialist batter.
Sri Lanka have their own injury troubles, with star allrounder Wanindu Hasaranga, who singlehandedly kept the hosts in the contest on Tuesday, out with a groin injury. He has been replaced by Jeffrey Vandersay.
Jhye Richardson has also dropped out of the Australian XI.
Image Id: CA6689909F6F4475A974D64D2771E133 Image Caption: Queensland teammate Marnus Labuschagne presented Kuhnemann with his Australian capPat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are the specialist quicks, but with no pace-bowling allrounders available in Stoinis’ absence, Glenn Maxwell and Marnus Labuschagne may need to pick up the balance of the fifth bowler’s overs.
It is believed to be one of the few times two specialist spinners from Queensland have ever represented the national team.
Kuhnemann had been mentored by fellow left-arm spinner Stephen O’Keefe in the lead-in to this tour.
"I kept in touch with him and then sent him a text message during this off-season … he said he was free, so I flew down to Sydney, caught the ferry over to Manly and had a bowl at his club, which was awesome,” Kuhnemann told cricket.com.au last month.
"(We talked about) just having that mindset of being present over there, being prepared to adapt to whatever the conditions are, and working out Sri Lankan batters, who are a bit more aggressive than Australian batters with their sweep shots, and thinking about fields and that sort of stuff.”
Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka, 2022
June 7: Australia won first T20 by 10 wickets
June 8: Australia won second T20 by three wickets
June 11: Sri Lanka won third T20 by four wickets
Sri Lanka ODI squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Niroshan Dickwella, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Ramesh Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Praveen Jayawickrama, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lahiru Madushanka, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan
Australia ODI squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner
June 14: Australia won by two wickets (DLS)
June 16: Second ODI, Kandy, 7pm AEST
June 19: Third ODI, Colombo, 7pm AEST
June 21: Fourth ODI, Colombo, 7pm AEST
June 24: Fifth ODI, Colombo, 7pm AEST
Sri Lanka Test squad (provisional): Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya De Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, Dinesh Chandimal, Chamika Karunaratne, Ramesh Mendis, Mohamed Shiraz, Shiran Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lakshitha Rasanjana, Praveen Jayawickrama, Lasith Embuldeniya, Suminda Lakshan
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner
June 29 - July 3: First Test, Galle, 2.30pm AEST
July 8-12: Second Test, Galle, 2.30pm AEST
All Sri Lanka v Australia international fixtures will be screened live on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports
Australia A fixtures
Australia A squad: Scott Boland, Aaron Hardie, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nic Maddinson, Nathan McAndrew, Todd Murphy, Jimmy Peirson, Josh Philippe, Matt Renshaw, Tanveer Sangha, Mark Steketee
Sri Lanka A one-day squad: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Niroshan Dickwella, Lahiru Udara, Lasith Croospulle, Oshada Fernando, Pabasara Waduge, Kamindu Mendis, Ashen Bandara, Janitha Liyanage, Sahan Arachchi, Pulina Tharanga, Dunith Wellalage, Dananjaya Lakshan, Shiran Fernando (will not play due to injury), Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan, Nishan Madushka, Ashen Daniel,Nisala Tharaka
June 8: Australia A won by seven wickets
June 10: Sri Lanka A won by four wickets
June 14-17: four-day match v Sri Lanka A, Hambantota
June 21-24: four-day match v Sri Lanka A, Hambantota