Australia’s Test summer plans have been given a major jolt by Cameron Green flying home immediately from England with a back injury, as the ODI team crumbled against the resurgent hosts at Lord’s.
Green complained of back soreness following the third game of the series in Durham, where he bowled six overs, and scans in London indicated enough damage had been done to mean he would play no further part in the tour.
Cameron Green bowling earlier in the tour.Credit: Getty Images
Teammates were informed of Green’s hurried departure on the way to Lord’s, leaving them to ponder the implications after the 186-run hiding by Harry Brook’s team.
“Greeny’s gone home … I found out as we were getting on the team bus,” vice captain Travis Head said. “I’ve got my phone back now and I’ll reach out to him, obviously disappointing for him, but he’ll go home and get things sorted.
“He’s been through these things before, Cam, it’s disappointing, but he’ll know the way to get back.”
In his earlier days, Green had a history of back stress fractures, and most recently suffered one during the 2019-20 summer with Western Australia, when he was forbidden to bowl. A similar scenario this season would mean Green is still available to play against India – but for his batting and fielding alone.
At 25, Green is the most talented young batter in the Test side, something he underlined with a match-winning century in difficult, seaming conditions against New Zealand in Wellington earlier this year.
But his loss as a bowling option would force a considerable rethink for Australia in terms of the balance of the Test team, with greater reliance on captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood to have their workloads balanced by Nathan Lyon’s spin bowling.
Head coach Andrew McDonald and selector on duty Tony Dodemaide digested Green’s situation as they watched Brook lead England to a comprehensive victory in another rain-shortened affair that tied the series at 2-2.
Reduced to 39 overs a side, the contest was dominated by England’s batters, who by posting 5-312 would have been on track for a tally of 400-plus in a 50-over affair. Only Hazlewood among the Australian bowlers was able to avoid significant punishment.
While Brook (87, 58 balls) backed up his Durham century with another innings of timing and invention, it was Liam Livingstone who put most space between the teams by hammering seven sixes on his way to 62 from a mere 27 balls.
Four of those came from the final over of the innings, delivered by Mitchell Starc, who repeatedly tried to nail a Yorker to Livingstone only to see three of those attempts disappear for sixes. Another six and a last ball boundary meant 28 came from the over, the most expensive in Australian ODI history.
Australia’s response started brightly with a stand worth 68 between Travis Head and captain Mitchell Marsh. Head revived memories of Kim Hughes’ legendary six at the 1980 Centenary Test – belting Chris Old onto the top of the Members Pavillion – by clouting one delivery from Brydon Carse clean out of Lord’s.
“Probably not,” Head said when asked if he had hit any bigger. “It would’ve been nice to hit a few more, but I felt like I’m hitting the ball nicely, could just do it for longer.”
Marnus Labuschagne is bowled by Brydon Carse in the one-dayer at Lord’s.Credit: Getty Images
But once the openers were separated, the white ball began to dart around sharply under the floodlights, presenting ideal conditions for Matthew Potts, Jofra Archer and Carse. The Australians floundered, losing 6-28 to more or less end the contest, before the lower order scrambled to 126.
It was the unhappiest of returns to Lord’s for members of the Test team who were on the end of flurries of abuse from the crowd after Jonny Bairstow’s stumping by Alex Carey on day five of a memorable Ashes Test.
Carey played but did not keep wicket as Josh Inglis returned, and was the source of one moment’s controversy when he appeared to claim Brook caught down the leg side, before replays showed the ball did not carry.
There will be some unpleasant parallels, too, in that England have once again come roaring back from an 0-2 deficit to have the series alive with one game to play and all the momentum with Brook and company.
Amid the collapse, Marnus Labuschagne suffered a hefty blow on the arm from Archer that required treatment, before he was bowled by a ripper from Carse that angled into middle stump before seaming away to knock out off.
The final game of the series is in Bristol on Sunday night, but Australian eyes are already turning towards home.
“A couple of the boys have been crook and it hasn’t been ideal,” Head said. “Personally I’m hoping to go out with a bang in a couple of days.”
News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport are sent every Monday. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.
