Australia Cricket Team have a big blow before the Border Gavaskar Trophy. All-rounder Cameron Green who is currently sidelined with an injury is all set to miss bowling, at least for the initial part of the IND vs AUS Test series. Green will return only as a batter for the first three Tests.
Cameron Green was withdrawn from the Sheffield Shield matches after suffering a back injury. While the good news is around his return in the IND vs AUS Test, it’s still a blow for the hosts as they will miss his services as an all-rounder.
Cameron Green injury
Green was ruled out of the ENG vs AUS 3rd ODI after complaining of back pain. He was promptly flown to Australia for further assessment and treatment. Green also missed the Sheffield matches.
Former Australia team doctor Peter Brukner told The Age that back stress injury would not prevent Green from batting or fielding. But it’s bowling that will be a concern until he is at 100%.
“As soon as there’s any hint of back pain at all, they whip them off for an MRI and see whether there’s any bone edema, which is the first sign there’s some stress there. That shows up fairly early in the process, so if you pick that up it’s an opportunity to back them off, rather than pushing through it until it gets to a fracture,” Brukner told The Age.
In back stress injuries, the problem is mostly the workload. With more workload, the injury could worsen. Hence, physios take a cautious approach while dealing with such injuries. India’s Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah both missed a year of bowling after suffering back stress injuries.
“The issue is the load, and as the bone recovers you gradually increase the load through the bone. The load comes mainly from bowling – batting and fielding don’t put a huge load on that part of the body, so it’s feasible that once the pain settles down you can bat and field without too many problems and feel fine,” Brukner said.
When will Cameron Green return?
As per The Age, Cameron Green is likely to return for the Australia A vs India A match at the MCG in early November. The Border Gavaskar Trophy starts on November 22 in Perth.
However, Australia are hopeful that the injury won’t prevent him from batting. That’s the reason why Australia are keen to have him in the Test squad.
With Green, the bowler ruled out, Mitchell Marsh will have to take the bowling load in Border Gavaskar Trophy.
IND vs AUS Test Schedule
- 1st Test: November 22-26 (Perth Stadium, Perth)
- 2nd Test: December 6-10 (Adelaide Oval, Adelaide)
- 3rd Test: December 14-18 (The Gabba, Brisbane)
- 4th Test: December 26-30 (Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne)
- 5th Test: January 3-7 (Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney)
