Australia has been dealt yet another injury blow to its fast-bowling stocks.
Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the first Test against India due to an Achilles issue, which he says stems from the Sydney Test last month.
The SCG match was plagued by rain, and when umpires did order players back onto the ground the bowlers found their run-ups to be soft.
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“It’s still lingering from the (SCG) Test match,” Hazlewood told reporters in Bangalore, where the Aussies are camped before flying to Nagpur for the first Test beginning on Thursday.
“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.
“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.”
Hazlewood has played only four Test matches in the last two years for Australia due to various injuries.
His latest setback is a blow for the Aussies, who are already missing Mitchell Starc for the Nagpur match.
Fast-bowling all-rounder Cameron Green will also likely not bowl in Nagpur as he recovers from a finger injury.
The Hazlewood news opens the door for either Scott Boland or Lance Morris to come into the XI.
Boland has never played a Test outside Australia, while Morris is yet to be presented with his baggy green.
“Scotty 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 of Boland.
“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.”
Australia will name an XI either on Wednesday or at the toss on Thursday.
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