It was said in jest and with the intention that the intended recipient would hear it. Marcus Stoinis had just passed Marnus Labuschagne’s bat for the seventeenth time in roughly fifteen minutes. As he walked back to his position, he pondered aloud to Andrew McDonald and Daniel Vettori whether they should be ‘worried’ about Marnus at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
To his credit, and likely in his defense, Stoinis had bowled an almost unplayable spell to Australia’s No.4 batsman, Labuschagne. On one occasion, he appeared to have ensnared Labuschagne in front by defeating him on the inside edge of the bat. He had also defeated the outside-edge and struck the outside of the off-stump of the right-hander. Stoinis estimated the Kookaburra’s age to be around 5 years old based on its youthful appearance. And on this muggy October evening in Chennai, with the assistance of an intermittently invigorating breeze, the muscular seamer was getting the ball to comply with his commands.
To Labuschagne’s dismay, he was having difficulty managing with this extremely difficult circumstance. There was a 5-ball period in the midst of this surge from Stoinis where the ball and bat seemed so out of harmony that you might have temporarily forgotten who he was bowling to. Surely, this wasn’t the most technically proficient batter in the Australian camp being exposed in such a crude manner. Unsurprisingly, the Western Australian was relishing his spell, so much so that he ensured his ample biceps were exposed from under his sleeves so he could fully appreciate his dominance with the ball in hand.
Eventually, Stoinis was finished, having defeated Labuschagne’s outside-edge for the last time, before placing his headgear on, facing backwards, and leaving.
The ‘concern’ in the lead-up to this 40-minute Stoinis spell with the ball late in the evening on October 5 ironically was more around him and if he’d be able to bowl at all. Earlier in the day, Coach McDonald disclosed that Stoinis had a “hamstring complaint” and was “touch and go” for the inaugural World Cup match against India. Stoinis arrived in the nets area well after the majority of the other players had completed their batting or bowling sessions.
His initial interactions were with team physio Nick Jones in what appeared to be an impromptu fitness evaluation. To begin the game, Jones had Stoinis run in from about half his normal distance while bowling at nothing but a set of stumps in the far net. Then, he gradually had the seamer back off with every other delivery until he was satisfied that Stoinis was prepared to sprint in at full speed. Labuschagne had just completed facing some of the local Tamil Nadu spinners and prepared himself for some seam-ups. Stoinis emerged victorious from the protracted, arduous interrogation that followed.
Stoinis did not feature in either of the two warm-up games, and it was unknown whether he would bowl or bat when Australia began their training session three days prior to the major opener.
Approximately half an hour after he finished bowling, Stoinis returned to the net in his batting attire and began a stroke at 8:22 p.m. Initially, he faced a left-arm wrist spinner, who delivered to all of the Australians, and a leg-spinner with an intriguing whirling bowling action. After a few power hits off them, he requested to face assistant coach Michael Di Venuto with his trusted sidearm exclusively for the next 20 minutes, before a final drill in which Daniel Vettori threw his left-arm throwdowns to him, and got the towering right-hander to attempt the sweep shot ball after ball, in what appeared to be an attempt to stretch out his hamstring further.
Though Stoinis missed a few attempts, the good news for Australia was that he did not appear to be in any pain while returning to his vertical base after each sweep shot. Much like with his bowling spell, Stoinis remained in the crease longer than anyone anticipated, and was the last to leave at 9:09 p.m., nearly 47 minutes after he first took strike.
With Labuschagne having been confirmed as a lock-in for the top four by McDonald, the only major issue you’d assume from a selection point of view for Australia is which of the two big all-rounders, Stoinis or Cameron Green, gets a go in the middle order. Thursday evening, Green also played a significant role with the bat and the ball. Two days remain before Pat Cummins tosses the coin and officially begins Australia’s World Cup campaign, but the selectors have sufficient reason to believe that their final decision on the seaming all-rounder will be based solely on who they believe is better suited, with Stoinis having proven his fitness to be excellent. He received some well-deserved pats on the back, and one of the trainers yelled, “Good session, Stoin!” at him.
Glenn Maxwell, a senior player returning from injury, was the first Australian to penetrate the nets for a shot, and he did so well before the others arrived on the scene. After suffering an ankle injury, Maxwell’s return to the team has been gradual. Following the second warm-up game against Pakistan in Hyderabad, he reported feeling 100%, but the team management asked him to concentrate solely on batting on Thursday and avoid fielding exercises to give his ankle a prolonged break. He will instead be seen taking receptions and pursuing down balls during Friday’s (October 6) afternoon session for Australia. In his third appearance in a 50-over World Cup, he will play a crucial role in Australia’s endeavor to capture its sixth championship. And his large companion, Stoinis, appears likely to join him immediately.
