Wednesday, 16 October, 2024
Australia all-rounder Cameron Green will miss the upcoming home Test series against India after opting for surgery to address a stress fracture in his lumbar spine. He is expected to be sidelined for at least six months.
Green, known for his fast bowling, was diagnosed with a lower back injury during the ODI series in England, raising concerns about his availability for the Tests against India.
Cricket Australia confirmed last week that Green was consulting with New Zealand specialists who have previously assisted fast bowlers, including Shane Bond and James Pattinson, in recovering from similar back stress fractures.
The alternative would have been to undergo rehabilitation and limit his bowling in the India series.
Green's condition was complex, though, and the decision to undergo surgery was aimed at ensuring he could bowl long term, the team said in a statement on Monday.
"Whilst spine stress fractures are not unusual in pace bowlers, Cam has a unique defect in an adjacent area to the fracture that is believed to be contributing to the injury," the statement said.
"Recovery time is anticipated to be around six months. The decision to proceed to surgery is with Cameron’s long-term future as an all-rounder in mind."
The injury is a major blow to Australia's hopes of beating India in the five-Test series starting on Nov 22 in Perth.
India have won the last four series between the teams, including the back-to-back tours of Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
Batting Shake-Up Ahead of India Series
With Cameron Green sidelined due to back surgery, Australia is set for a significant shake-up in its batting order. Selectors have been cautious about over-bowling the 25-year-old all-rounder, given his history of stress fractures in his back during his junior and state-level careers. Despite this, Green has contributed significantly with 35 wickets at an average of 35.31, providing invaluable support to the team’s aging bowling attack.
Green's batting has also shown steady improvement, highlighted by his majestic unbeaten 174 against New Zealand in February, marking his second Test century. He had been batting at number four in his last four Tests, with Steve Smith moving up the order to fill the void left by the retired opener David Warner.
Selector George Bailey confirmed on Monday that Smith would drop back in the order, creating openings for both the number four spot and a new opener against India. "Clearly, we have a number four spot and an opening spot to fill," Bailey stated during a press conference.
Among the candidates to open the batting is New South Wales' promising 19-year-old talent, Sam Konstas. He made headlines last week by scoring twin centuries against South Australia, becoming the youngest player to achieve this milestone in a Sheffield Shield match since Ricky Ponting.
Despite having played only five first-class matches, Konstas was included in the Australia A squad announced on Monday, alongside Victoria opener Marcus Harris and Western Australia's Cameron Bancroft. Australia A will face India A in two four-day matches before the series against India, providing Konstas an opportunity to push for his Test debut ahead of more experienced players.
Harris, who hasn’t played for Australia in nearly three years, improved his selection prospects with impressive scores of 143 and 52 in a recent Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania.
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Australia all-rounder Cameron Green will miss the upcoming home Test series against India after opting for surgery to address a stress fracture in his lumbar spine. He is expected to be sidelined for at least six months.
Green, known for his fast bowling, was diagnosed with a lower back injury during the ODI series in England, raising concerns about his availability for the Tests against India.
Cricket Australia confirmed last week that Green was consulting with New Zealand specialists who have previously assisted fast bowlers, including Shane Bond and James Pattinson, in recovering from similar back stress fractures.
The alternative would have been to undergo rehabilitation and limit his bowling in the India series.
Green's condition was complex, though, and the decision to undergo surgery was aimed at ensuring he could bowl long term, the team said in a statement on Monday.
"Whilst spine stress fractures are not unusual in pace bowlers, Cam has a unique defect in an adjacent area to the fracture that is believed to be contributing to the injury," the statement said.
"Recovery time is anticipated to be around six months. The decision to proceed to surgery is with Cameron’s long-term future as an all-rounder in mind."
The injury is a major blow to Australia's hopes of beating India in the five-Test series starting on Nov 22 in Perth.
India have won the last four series between the teams, including the back-to-back tours of Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
Batting Shake-Up Ahead of India Series
With Cameron Green sidelined due to back surgery, Australia is set for a significant shake-up in its batting order. Selectors have been cautious about over-bowling the 25-year-old all-rounder, given his history of stress fractures in his back during his junior and state-level careers. Despite this, Green has contributed significantly with 35 wickets at an average of 35.31, providing invaluable support to the team’s aging bowling attack.
Green's batting has also shown steady improvement, highlighted by his majestic unbeaten 174 against New Zealand in February, marking his second Test century. He had been batting at number four in his last four Tests, with Steve Smith moving up the order to fill the void left by the retired opener David Warner.
Selector George Bailey confirmed on Monday that Smith would drop back in the order, creating openings for both the number four spot and a new opener against India. "Clearly, we have a number four spot and an opening spot to fill," Bailey stated during a press conference.
Among the candidates to open the batting is New South Wales' promising 19-year-old talent, Sam Konstas. He made headlines last week by scoring twin centuries against South Australia, becoming the youngest player to achieve this milestone in a Sheffield Shield match since Ricky Ponting.
Despite having played only five first-class matches, Konstas was included in the Australia A squad announced on Monday, alongside Victoria opener Marcus Harris and Western Australia's Cameron Bancroft. Australia A will face India A in two four-day matches before the series against India, providing Konstas an opportunity to push for his Test debut ahead of more experienced players.
Harris, who hasn’t played for Australia in nearly three years, improved his selection prospects with impressive scores of 143 and 52 in a recent Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania.
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