T20 World Cup: Schedule | Points table
The absence forced Travis Head to once again take over as stand-in captain in Colombo, where he won the toss and opted to start against Zimbabwe. Marsh also missed the previous game against Ireland, raising concerns about the balance of the leadership and the stability of the middle order if his recovery takes longer than expected.
The selectors have called in Steve Smith as a fallback option, relying on his experience and strong recent form against spin bowling – a skill considered crucial on Sri Lankan surfaces. However, the former captain was yet to link up with the team at the time of the match.
Australia’s pace resources were also hit hard as key quicks Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were ruled out due to injury, putting further pressure on the remaining bowlers.
Despite the setbacks, the team remains confident of maintaining the momentum as they push to qualify for the next stage of the tournament.
Playing XI:
Australia XI: Travis Head (c), Josh Inglis (w), Cameron Green, Matt Renshaw, Glenn Maxwell, Tim David, Marcus Stoinis, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Matthew Kuhnemann
Zimbabwe XI: Brian Bennett, Tadiwanashe Marumani (w), Dion Myers, Sikandar Raza (c), Ryan Burl, Tony Munyonga, Tashinga Musekiwa, Brad Evans, Wellington Masakadza, Graeme Cremer, Blessing Muzarabani