Australian Cricketers, Including Hazlewood and Marsh, Mock India’s Handshake Snub Against Pakistan

The long-standing cricket rivalry between India and Australia heats up as the two teams gear up for three ODIs and five T20Is starting Sunday, October 19, in Perth. The first ODI will mark the much-anticipated return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to international cricket.

Ahead of the series, the Australian camp has engaged in playful mind games, taking jabs at India over its handshake snub against Pakistan during the Asia Cup 2025. The tournament had been overshadowed by off-field controversies, beginning with Suryakumar Yadav and the Indian team refusing to shake hands with Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor. India also declined to accept the Asia Cup trophy from Pakistan’s ACC and PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi.

In a video uploaded by Kayo Sports, Australian anchors joked: “We all know India is on its way. But we’ve identified one critical weakness… they’re not huge fans of the traditional greeting, so we can throw them off before we’ve even bowled a ball.”

Aussie Players Join the Banter

• Mitchell Marsh, Australia’s white-ball captain, mimicked Travis Head’s “finger in the ice cup” trick.

• Sophie Molineux humorously taunted the Indian team, raising her middle fingers during a handshake gesture.

• Josh Hazlewood cheekily asked, “What about the shooter?”
  The clip ended with Marsh, Hazlewood, Grace Harris, and the anchors laughing together.

India-Australia ODI Squad Updates

• Injury News: Pat Cummins is out due to a back issue, while Adam Zampa and Josh Inglis will miss the series opener. Steve Smith retired from ODIs earlier this year after Australia’s Champions Trophy semi-final loss to India.

• Selected Players: Mitchell Marsh (captain), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey (wk), Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Mitchell Owen, Matt Renshaw, Matthew Short, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Inglis (wk).

The series promises intense cricketing action as both teams look to assert dominance, with the added spice of off-field mind games adding extra intrigue.