Sophie Molineux, the 28-year-old left-arm spin bowling all-rounder and newly appointed Australia captain, has been ruled out of the remainder of the multi-format series against India due to lower back pain, dealing a blow to the hosts as they pivot to the ODIs and pink-ball Test.
The series, running from February 15 to March 9, 2026, at venues including the W.A.C.A. in Perth, saw India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, edge the T20I leg 2-1, winning the rain-affected opener by 21 runs via DLS, losing the second by 19 runs, then sealing it with a 17-run victory in the decider.
Chief selector Shawn Flegler confirmed the setback during the first innings of the second ODI at Bellerive Oval, emphasising caution ahead of bigger priorities.
“Unfortunately, Soph (Sophie Molineux) has developed a bit of lower back pain over the last few days, which means she’s going to miss the rest of the series,” Flegler told Channel Seven. “We’ll work towards (Molineux) being available for the West Indies series coming up. We don’t want to take any risks with the T20 World Cup coming up.”
Sophie Molineux, who stepped in as Alyssa Healy’s replacement captain last month, remains able to bat and run but will sit out bowling duties after an initial scan, with further tests pending. Her injury-prone history, plagued by serious foot and knee issues over the past four to five years, sidelining her from major series, had already raised eyebrows about her leadership appointment.
Flegler remains optimistic, “We don’t think she’s going to miss too much more,” adding that the plan is to take her to the West Indies to build toward the World Cup, with deputies Tahlia McGrath or Ashleigh Gardner ready to step up if needed.
Australia now braces for squad shake-ups for the one-off day-night Test, with Kim Garth unlikely to recover from her quad strain and Ellyse Perry a stronger chance as a specialist batter. Uncapped left-arm quick Lucy Hamilton looms as a debutant, and another pace option could join.
Flegler also updated on leg-spinner Alana King’s T20I omission, crediting Georgia Wareham’s all-round edge while keeping King’s World Cup door open, “She’s bowled really well every time, we’re certainly not counting her out of T20 calculations at the World Cup or even in the West Indies.”
The wicketkeeping call favouring Beth Mooney across formats, even with Healy’s return, underscores long-term planning. “Moons has been keeping very well for the last 12 to 18 months, and the opportunity was too good,” Flegler said, while respecting Healy’s stellar legacy.
Skipper Alyssa Healy herself lamented Molineux’s latest hurdle at the toss, “The Sophie Molineux news today was a bit of a shock for everyone and a disappointing one for her.” As Australia rings in changes, the focus sharpens on World Cup readiness, no risks with their captaincy heir apparent.
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