Josh Hazlewood is in doubt for the Boxing Day Test after being taken for scans on a calf problem on day four of the third Test against India at the Gabba.
Victorian Scott Boland, who subbed in for Hazlewood in Adelaide, will now be favoured to return to the side for the MCG, where he enjoys a handsome record in Test matches.
Josh Hazlewood dismissed Virat Kohli on day three.Credit: Getty Images
In a big blow to Australia’s hopes of forcing victory in Brisbane, Hazlewood bowled only one over at reduced pace on the fourth morning before holding a conference on the field with captain Pat Cummins, deputy Steve Smith and team physio Nick Jones.
Hazlewood then accompanied Jones to the boundary and headed for further assessment of the issue, which has come hot on the heels of the side strain that ruled him out of the Adelaide Test. The team have insisted it is not a recurrence of that earlier injury.
“Josh Hazlewood reported calf awareness in this morning’s warm-up,” a team spokesperson said. “He will be taken for scans to assess the injury. Any updates will be shared in due course.”
At 33, Hazlewood’s history of injury problems appear to be getting increasingly hard to shake. The impact of his side strain in Perth was reduced because Cummins lowered Hazlewood’s workload once he reported soreness, and there were similar conversations here.
Hazlewood has played just 16 of Australia’s past 34 Test matches, and missed cricket with an assortment of side, Achilles and calf issues over the past couple of years.
Australia still consider Hazlewood one of the finest fast bowlers in the world. He returned match figures of 5-57 in Perth.
But it is a concern for Australia that Hazlewood is struggling to stay on the park, especially in a season in which the hosts are missing the all-round abilities of Cameron Green. Mitchell Marsh’s bowling has been a modest substitute, while Nathan Lyon is yet to have an impact on the series.
Australia had toyed with the idea of enforcing the follow-on if they could bowl India out quickly enough on day four, but without Hazlewood that now looks highly unlikely.
In turn, the tourists’ chances of getting to Melbourne with the series still tied at 1-1 have increased considerably due to the injury news.
More to come
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