On Tuesday, Marcus Stoinis made a strong case for himself for a return to international cricket with a 60-ball 76 and backed it up with a tidy spell of one for 13 from his four overs.
The Australian has experience of the local conditions with three seasons of IPL under his belt. He was also part of the A-tour two years back and has been working closely with the current Australian batting consultant S. Sriram.
But before he worries about the conditions, he has James Faulkner to contend with who had a stellar run in the 2013 ODI series. Faulkner was included in the squad after being dropped for the Champions Trophy and Stoinis faces stiff competition for a place in the playing XI, though he feels the difference in style between them, could help both.
Good headache
“I think it is a good headache. He absolutely dominated here in 2013. But we are different [kinds of] all-rounders. He is more bowling and I am more of a batting all-rounder. He is left-arm and adds a lot of different aspects to the team’s bowling. I am no selector but, maybe, there is room for both.”
While Stoinis and his team had a good outing, it was also a bit of a reality check for the Board President’s side, and coach Hemang Badani felt that players have enough to learn from Tuesday’s match.
