Melbourne, 30 November (IANS). Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the second Test match of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India due to side strain.
Australia has included Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett in their team. Both have not played any match at Test level. However, Scott Boland is expected to be included in place of Josh Hazlewood in the playing eleven for the day-night Test.
According to a statement from Cricket Australia, Hazlewood suffered a “mild left hamstring injury” and will remain with the team in Adelaide to focus on his recovery. He will remain with the team in Adelaide to prepare for the remaining matches of the series.
This is Hazlewood’s first absence from the home Test against India. This is the first time since the 2015 Sydney Test that Australia will play a home Border-Gavaskar Trophy match without any of its four stalwarts Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon. This quartet played together in nine consecutive home Tests against India.
Hazlewood was the best bowler for Australia in the first Test against India in Perth, taking 5 wickets for 57 runs in 34 overs. It is likely that Boland, who will lead the PM XI in the two-day warm-up match against India in Canberra, will replace Hazlewood in the playing 11. His last Test match was played in the 2023 Ashes Test at Leeds.
Hazlewood’s absence is a major blow for the hosts, who are trailing 0-1 in the five-match series. When India last played a day-night test with pink ball in Adelaide in December 2021, this fast bowler played an important role.
In that match, he took 5 wickets for 8 runs in 5 overs, which included three maidens. Due to this performance of Hazlewood, India was bundled out for 36 runs. Hazlewood also made a strong start to the ongoing series in Perth, taking 4 for 29 in the first innings, as India were bowled out for 150. He bowled tightly in the second innings also.
–IANS
AMJ/AS
