Maddinson, who previously played three Tests against South Africa and Pakistan in 2016, has yet to play a first-class match since undergoing chemotherapy in mid-2025. He returned to play the BBL for Sydney Thunder and a second XI game for NSW in the 2025-26 season but did not feature in the Sheffield Shield.
“Sam gives us wicketkeeping cover as Josh continues his recovery while Nic provides flexibility throughout the batting order,” chair of selectors George Bailey said.
Matt Renshaw, who took a blow on the wrist in the final ODI, has been cleared of injury. Inglis could yet return to the tour with his fractured finger to be further assessed ahead of the second Test in Gqeberha.
Maddinson, now 34, found a lump after the 2024-25 domestic season had finished and had surgery but subsequent tests showed the cancer had spread.
“Once I found out I had to have chemo, that was pretty hard to deal with,” Maddinson told the Nine newspapers last year. “It had spread to parts of my abdominal lymph nodes and lung. That was a bit where it was pretty daunting.”
Maddinson had put himself back in the international frame in early 2024 when he made three centuries in five innings but started the following summer poorly before his illness.
“I would still love to play Test cricket again, but I’m more realistic,” Maddinson said ahead of his comeback last season. “The older you get, the less likely it is to happen. “I had a really good opportunity last year and I just didn’t really grab it.”
He began the following summer with a double century and earned an Australia A call-up but withdrew from the match against Pakistan for mental health reasons. However, at the end of the 2019-2020 season, he did play for Australia A against England Lions. Overall, in first-class cricket, he has an average of 37.11 with 18 centuries.
Harper, meanwhile, has three first-class centuries in his last eight innings, which doubles his career tally. He was shifted up to open for Victoria last season to combat bowler-friendly pitches with an attacking approach and responded with twin hundreds against Western Australia and then scored 93 against Tasmania.
For Australia A this week in India, he has been batting in the middle-order where he made 128 off 223 balls. But while Harper is covering for Inglis, who has played all his Tests as a specialist batter, it would likely need an injury to Alex Carey for Harper to earn a debut.
There is reasonable confidence that Green, who was the leading run-scorer in the series against Bangladesh in August, will be able to recover in time for the first Test on October 9 but even if he’s able to play as a batter, there may be question marks over his role with the ball.
Green was struck in the abdomen by a full toss from Corbin Bosch during his innings in the final ODI in Potchefstroom and though he was able to launch the following delivery for six, he was in clear pain when dismissed the next ball.
Renshaw, meanwhile, who made his Test debut in the same game as Maddinson back in 2016, was hurt while fielding but he now appears in no doubt to be able to open in the first Test, having been recalled against Bangladesh in Mackay.
Australia play a two-day warm-up match against CSA Invitational XI in Potchefstroom on Saturday and Sunday.
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at Cricinfo