Stoinis' tour over as Kuhnemann joins ODI squad

Australia’s injury crisis has deepened with Marcus Stoinis’ tour of Sri Lanka over, while Ashton Agar appears unlikely to play any further part in the one-day international series.

Matthew Kuhnemann could make his international debut in Thursday’s second ODI having been pulled from the ongoing Australia A game in Hambantota, with Travis Head also heading to Kandy.

The blow to Stoinis, who suffered a side strain while he was batting during the first ODI at the Pallekele Stadium, leaves Australia without a fully fit seam-bowling allrounder.

Mitch Marsh has a calf injury and is not expected to be available until the third ODI at the earliest, while Cameron Green is being held back from bowling in a match until then as well as Australia carefully manage their young Test allrounder.

Agar, who also hurt his side during Tuesday evening’s two-wicket win over Sri Lanka, will remain in Sri Lanka with the one-day squad but his focus looks set to shift towards regaining fitness for the two-Test series in Galle.

With Mitchell Starc still sidelined with a finger injury, it has become a horror tour injury-wise for the Aussies, who have now had six players go down in less than a fortnight.

Kuhnemann and Head will be replaced for the final two days of the four-day game against Sri Lanka A by Jimmy Pierson and Tanveer Sangha.

The Aussies will need to rethink the balance of their side in the absence of Stoinis and Marsh (and Green only available as a batter), with a greater reliance on spin appearing likely.

With Agar out and Adam Zampa not on tour, Mitchell Swepson will be the lead spinner and could be joined by his Queensland teammate Kuhnemann in the XI if conditions suit in Pallekele.

Like Agar, Kuhnemann is a left-arm spinner. The 25-year-old, last season's leading Sheffield Shield spinner, performed strongly in the two Australia A 50-over games last week, finishing as the side’s leading wicket taker and most economical bowler.

Kuhnemann spent time preparing for the tour with Stephen O’Keefe, the former Test left-arm tweaker who was particular effective on the subcontinent.

"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."

Impressing during the ODIs could see him stay on for the Tests if Agar is not fit in time for the two-Test campaign in Galle beginning later this month.

Australia are meanwhile taking no risks with Starc, who sliced open his left index finger in the T20 series and required six stitches inserted.

"He's a bit of a wait and see," said fellow quick and Test captain Pat Cummins. "He had a bowl the other day. I think the plan was to get the stitches out in the next day or two.

"The key with that is we don't want to rush him, we don't want to put the Test series in jeopardy by reopening that too early.

"There's no timeline on that. A good result would be if he played some of this series."

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: first-class tour match v Sri Lanka A, Hambantota

June 21-24: first-class tour match v Sri Lanka A, Hambantota