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Australia’s fast bowling stocks have been dealt another blow just days out from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, with Josh Hazlewood ruled out of the first Test against India with an Achilles injury.
Hazlewood will join Mitchell Starc (finger) on the sidelines for the opening match of the four-Test series in Nagpur, while all-rounder Cameron Green (finger) has already been ruled out of bowling in the series opener and is doubtful to play.
With just three days between the first and second Tests, Hazlewood is also in doubt for the latter match as well.
The blow opens the door for Scott Boland to play his first overseas Test, after taking 28 wickets at 12.21 in six matches on home soil.
Speaking to cricket.com.au, Hazlewood hailed Boland as an ideal replacement, while also flagging uncapped quick Lance Morris as an option to fill in for Starc.
“Scotty [Boland] has bowled plenty at the MCG when it was a flat wicket, it probably wasn’t swinging or reverse-swinging so he knows how to work hard for a long period of time,” Hazlewood said.
“You’ve got Lance Morris who has worked hard on reverse swing for the last month and then a nice lead-in here with a few sessions.
“The guys are excited first of all to play in the subcontinent, they both haven’t yet, but they’re very well qualified to do so.”
Hazlewood believes his Achilles injury flared up while bowling on rain-affected run-ups at the SCG during the New Year’s Test, which served as the New South Welshman’s return from a side strain suffered against the West Indies in the first Test of the summer.
Josh Hazlewood (Photo by Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images)
“We obviously bowled after a lot of rain and the jump-offs were quite soft, where we were taking off from and they ended up replacing them as well,” Hazlewood said of bowling in Sydney a month ago.
“It sort of worked to a degree, but just that extra load jumping off a soft ground to bowl – and again, first Test match [back from injury], your body is not used to that sort of workload as well.
“I was bowling a fair bit leading into the [India] tour at home and sort of just pushing up against it. 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 off the bat and try and get over the hump, and have a bowl from Tuesday and hope it goes well.”
A regular in the Test team since making his debut in 2014, Hazlewood’s setback continues a frustrating run of injuries dating back to 2019.
A combination of hamstring, side and now foot problems have restricted him to just eight of Australia’s last 21 Tests, while also seeing him fall well behind captain Pat Cummins and Starc in the pecking order when Australia have chosen to play two spin bowlers in recent tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Cummins, Boland and Morris are currently the only fit fast bowlers in the 18-man squad, with the Aussies weighing up whether to field a second or even third spinner alongside Nathan Lyon.
Australia’s full squad for India series
Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Peter Handscomb, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner.
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