Australia suffered a massive setback as their captain Mitchell Marsh has been ruled out of the fifth and final ODI due to soreness. Marsh’s injury offered Steve Smith the great opportunity to step in as captain for Australia in the series-deciding ODI against England.

With the ongoing five-match ODI series tied at 2-2, Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium is set for the fiery competition between the two Ashes rivals on Sunday, September 29. Cooper Connolly is all set to make his debut in Bristol, as wicketkeeper Alex Carey dropped from the playing XI.

Steve Smith steps in as captain for Australia in the ODI series decider against England

Under Smith’s captaincy, Australia, aiming to bounce back after a heavy 186-run defeat at Lord’s that allowed England to tie the series 2-2, made three changes to their lineup for the ODI series decider against England.

Smith, who won the toss, chose to bowl first under cloudy skies. Recent rain in Bristol and more expected throughout the day could play a role in the outcome of the match.

Steve Smith said at the toss in Bristol, “We are going to bowl. It’s a big game; you need to start well with the ball; a bit of rain around. Looking forward to this game. Marsh is out, Carey is out, Abbott is out.”

England captain Harry Brook said: “We also would have bowled because of the overcast conditions. It’s a deciding game. We have one change. Jofra Archer is out; Olly Stone comes in.”

Recent rain in Bristol and more expected throughout the day could play a role in the outcome of the match. Notably, Marsh experienced soreness after the fourth ODI match at Lord’s, where he bowled for the first time since April, taking 1-27 in four overs.

Marsh gets injured due to heavy workload

Australia’s T20I captain’s discomfort is blamed on the demanding schedule during Australia’s month-long tour in the UK rather than his return to bowling. The final ODI against England is Australia’s fifth ODI in just 11 days, contributing to his heavy workload.

Speaking about the Bristol ODI, Australia opted to bowl first, and England started quite well with the bat. The English openers Phil Salt and Ben Duckett started off the innings with a bang, as they have already hammered six boundaries and one six against Australia in the ongoing fifth ODI.

Notably, September 29 marks the latest date for an ODI match in an English season, matching the fifth ODI between England and the West Indies that took place on the same day in Southampton back in 2017. Currently, England’s score reads 58 without any loss to Australia.

Here are Playing XIs for England vs Australia 5th ODI:

Australia XI: Travis Head, Matt Short, Steve Smith (c), Josh Inglis (wk), Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Aaron Hardie, Cooper Connolly, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood

England XI: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Harry Brook (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Olly Stone, Adil Rashid