IND vs AUS LIVE: In what is coming as a big blow to Australian Cricket Team, Josh Hazlewood has still not fully recovered from injury. This latest development has left Australia without a third fast bowler for the first half of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy which will get underway in Nagpur on Thursday (February 9). Hazlewood absence will mean that Scott Boland is in a great position to play his maiden Test abroad. Follow India vs Australia LIVE updates with InsideSport.IN
Hazlewood said that he will miss at least the first test of the four-test tour of India due to a left Achilles ailment that happened at the SCG last month.
Along with his speed partner Mitchell Starc, who will undoubtedly miss the first Test owing to a finger problem, and all-rounder Cameron Green, who is unlikely to bowl until the second Test due to an injured finger, the 32-year-old is also now in the casualty list for the visitors.
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The short three-day gap between the first two Test matches indicates that Hazlewood is pushing time to be ready for the second game in Delhi.
Hazlewood talked to reporters before Australia’s final session at the KSCA Stadium on Sunday (February 5). He then confirmed his absence for Nagpur Test as per CricBuzz.
“Not sure about the first Test. It’s still a few days away but it’s sneaking up pretty quickly. Second one is obviously straight after as well. So, we’ll play it by ear over the next week and next few days and hopefully Tuesday goes well,” Hazlewood said.
Hazlewood absence implies that Boland, whose six Test matches have all been played in Australia, should be given first dibs on teaming up with Pat Cummins in Nagpur. The other option for pace is the uncapped sprinter Lance Morris, and the visitors haven’t ruled out playing three speedsters.
“Just a bit of workload management at the moment. Just managing the Achilles. I was bowling a fair bit leading into the tour at home and sort of just pushing up against it. Probably wasn’t recovering as well as I would have liked between each session so thought we’d give it a few days here straight of the bat and try and get over the hump and have a bowl from Tuesday on (in Nagpur) and hope it goes well,” pacer said when asked about his lack of participation in the Alur sessions.
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On the final day of Australia’s training camp before their flight to Nagpur on Sunday, Boland and Cummins took the new ball during match-simulation drills at Alur.
