On the strength of his good recent form, Marnus Labuschagne unexpectedly made Australia's 15-person lineup for the 50-over World Cup in India on Thursday. Injured opener Travis Head was also included. The one-day series in India and Labuschagne's impressive performances in South Africa persuaded his comeback after he had been left out of the provisional team. Head was selected in lieu of left-arm spinner Ashton Agar, who was in the preliminary group of 15 players but was unable to recover from a calf injury in time. Head will miss Australia's early matches after breaking his hand in South Africa.
In a statement, Chair of Selectors George Bailey said, "This was a tough call but, unfortunately, we couldn't carry both Travis and Ashton into the tournament."
"We have made the decision to carry Travis through the early stages with the aim of him being available around the mid part of the tournament"
"He has been a really important player in this ODI team and we are hopeful his return can provide a positive impetus as it gets to the business end of the tournament."
After the off-spinner's career-best 4-40 against India in the third one-day international on Wednesday, Glenn Maxwell is expected to be Australia's second spin option, along with Adam Zampa.
On October 8, hosts India and the five-time champions Australia will face off in Chennai.
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