Ben McDermott Steps In as Replacement for Matthew Short in AUS vs WI 3rd ODI

In AUS vs WI 3rd ODI, Australia’s Matthew Short sidelined; Ben McDermott steps in as replacement. Short’s absence might extend to the AUS vs WI T20I series. The decisive 3rd ODI is scheduled for Tuesday, February 6, at Manuka Oval Stadium in Canberra, concluding the already-won series for Australia, which is leading 2-0.

Australia’s squad faces injury setbacks, with Travis Head and Xavier Bartlett ruled out earlier. Despite Bartlett’s return for the final ODI, Josh Hazlewood will miss the match, returning for the T20I series. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc continue to be absent from the AUS vs WI ODI series.

Matthew Short suffered a hamstring injury during the 2nd ODI

During the AUS vs WI 2nd ODI in Sydney, Matthew Short sustained a hamstring injury while batting, scoring a crucial 41 runs. Unfortunately, he did not take the field in the 2nd innings due to the hamstring issue.

In his absence, Ben McDermott, who recently scored a century for Queensland in a Sheffield Shield clash against Tasmania, has been brought in as a replacement. McDermott is set to make a return to the ODI team after last playing in April 2022 against Pakistan. Despite not featuring in ODIs since then, he participated in the IND vs AUS T20I series in November–December of the same year. McDermott boasts an impressive batting average of 44.60 in ODIs, having scored 1 century and 1 half-century in 5 appearances, along with featuring in 25 T20Is for Australia.

Australia is ahead in the ODI series with a 2-0 lead

Australia has already secured victory in the ODI series, making the AUS vs WI 3rd ODI a dead-rubber for both teams. In the previous match, Australia emerged triumphant by 83 runs, posting a total of 258-9 while batting first and subsequently restricting the West Indies to 175.

Sean Abbott was honored with the Player of the Match award for his outstanding performance, contributing a crucial 69 runs with the bat and taking 3 wickets while bowling. The opening match also saw Australia’s dominance as they comfortably chased down a target of 232, with fifties from Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, and Steve Smith.

Following the conclusion of the AUS vs WI ODI series, the two teams will face off in a three-match T20I series. The first match is scheduled for Friday, February 9, in Hobart, with the subsequent two contests set to be held in Adelaide and Perth.

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