New Delhi: Australia have been hit with an injury blow as star all-rounder Cameron Green is ruled out of the upcoming five-Test home series (BGT) against India that is to begin on November 22 in Perth. Green has opted to undergo surgery on his injured back and has been sidelines not just for the India series but for the remainder of the complete season i.e. six months.
Green, who was part of the Australian team which toured England recently, had hurt his back and the subsequent scans revealed a stress fracture in the affected area. Cricket Australia (CA) in a brief statement said Green had a “unique defect in an adjacent area to the fracture that is believed to be contributing to the injury” and that the 25-year-old will undergo surgery to stabilise the injury and lessen the risk of future recurrence.
JUST IN: Massive news on the eve of the men’s international summer #AUSvIND https://t.co/UPzbf3gL0W
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) October 14, 2024
The back fracture was revealed in the UK but further assessments were required in Australia as it is understood to be a different one to his previous stress injuries. As per an ESPNcricinfo report, Green previously had four stress fractures in his lower back, which recurred through his junior days will 2019 which is a year before him making his Test debut.
This firmly means that Green will be missing the Border Gavaskar Trophy against India which is crucial for Australia’s road quest to the ICC World Test Championship defence. Meanwhile, he will also be missing the Aussies’ Test tour to Sri Lanka and the all-important ICC Champions Trophy event in February next year.
Future prospects
Green was a crucial asset for Australia in their first-ever World Test Championship triumph at The Oval last year and had been promoted up the batting order at no.4 position following the promotion of star veteran batter Steven Smith to the opener after David Warner’s retirement from Tests. Losing Green for the series means Smith could return to his preferred position at second drop while Australia may require another bowling option for the India series to fill in the worthy shoes of their young all-rounder.
It remains to be seen if he will make it in time for the Indian Premier League (IPL), the World Test Championship final in June (if Australia make it), and the three-Test tour of West Indies in June and July next year given CA’s timeframe, specifically as a batter as bowling remains a different story.
Cameron Green is set to miss the five Test home series against India as he will undergo a surgery and is highly unlikely to recover in time for the Sri Lanka tour and the all-important ICC Champions Trophy in February next year. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
