Australian all-rounder Cameron Green has suffered a fractured finger, meaning he will not play again in the Christmas Day Test and has been ruled out of the Sydney Test starting on January 4. It was confirmed on Wednesday morning, ahead of day three at the MCG. , that scans on Green’s right index finger had revealed a small fracture. He was hit on the finger by Anrich Nortje while batting late on the second day and was forced to retire injured.
Australia said Green is available to bat again during the match but will not bowl. His ability to grip the bat will not be as hindered as his ability to grip and release the ball while playing with his right index finger.
The injury means the all-rounder will not play in the third Test in Sydney or the BBL. But he is expected to be fit for the four-Test tour of India starting in February.
His injury is a blow to Australia’s bowling stock in the MCG Test. Despite already holding a 197-run lead with seven wickets in hand and three days to play, Australia are short of bowling options, especially after Green took a career-best 5 for 27 to dismiss South Africa for just 189 on the first day. Mitchell Starc also has an injury on the middle finger of his left hand after injuring himself while playing on the first day. There are reports that he has suffered ligament damage, but it has not been confirmed by CA. Australia coach Andrew McDonald confirmed that Starc is available to bowl in the second innings at the MCG but will not be at full strength.
“He will play a role with both bat and ball throughout the game,” McDonald told SEN on Wednesday morning. “It will be limited and its capabilities will not be the same [fully fit] as he would like, but he will be able to play a role for us, so that’s a positive sign.”
Marnus Labuschagne had a decent bowl in the nets on the morning of day three before rain interrupted the warm-up. He was working on his bowling with Australia’s bowling coach Andre Adams. Steven Smith also did some bowling and leg-spin to Australia’s utility batsman Marcus Harris. Green’s injury creates a headache for Australia’s selectors ahead of the Sydney Test. Mitchell Marsh had been the stand-in for the Test team for the past 12 months, including the Ashes and the tours to Pakistan and Sri Lanka. But Marsh is currently unavailable as he recovers from ankle surgery. That does open the door for Western Australian all-rounder Aaron Hardie, who has been on Australia’s radar since his standout performance in last season’s Sheffield Shield final. He also performed superbly for Australia A during the winter tour of Sri Lanka and played in the Prime Minister’s XI, which was effectively an Australia A team, against the West Indies in November. But Hardie’s Shield form ended after an excellent game against Queensland at the WACA in October, although he has started the BBL well for the Perth Scorchers, including 55 against the Sydney Sixers. Another option the selectors could consider is to recall Michael Neser and bat at No.7 as part of a five-man attack with Alex Carey moving up to No.6, given that he bats at No.7 as a bowler for Queensland to Sheffield. Shield cricket. Australia already have a bowling cover for Starc if, as expected, he is ruled out of the Sydney Test with Josh Hazlewood and Lance Morris currently in the squad. There is a chance they could add a second spinner to the squad ahead of Sydney as the SCG pitch has been very spin-friendly this summer. Mitchell Swepson was the second opening batsman, having played four Tests in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but there has been talk of Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa and Todd Murphy threatening the pecking order ahead of the India tour .
If Australia do not pick another all-rounder to replace Green, they will have to consider whether to play six batsmen and five bowlers, or seven batsmen and just four bowlers. Harris, a specialist opener, is the only backup hitter currently on the roster. A middle-order player like Peter Handscomb could also come into the mix.