His absence will be felt more in the Pink Ball Test since he was the chief destructor in the Day-Night Test in the last BGT.
An Australian pacer has been ruled out of the upcoming Test against India in Adelaide, owing to a side strain. The pacer forms a crucial part of the pace batter, and his injury has become a massive blow for the Aussies.
Josh Hazlewood will take no part in the Day-Night Test due to a low grade left side injury but will remain with the squad in Adelaide as he works through his injury. He has had fitness issues lately, and another setback has come at the worst time, given that Australia are already behind in the series.
Josh Hazlewood bowled brilliantly in the first Test in Perth, taking four wickets for 29 runs in the first innings before bowling an economical marathon spell of 21 overs, conceding only 28 runs. His absence will be felt more in the Pink Ball Test since he was the chief destructor in the Day-Night Test in the last BGT.
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He took five wickets for 8 runs in the second innings and was vital in bundling India on a mere 36 in the second innings, paving the way for an Aussie victory. His accuracy with subtle variations would have been mighty effective, especially under the lights.
In Josh Hazlewood’s absence, Australia called up Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett for the next game in Adelaide. Both were impressive in the Sheffield Shield fixtures and got their rewards.
Doggett picked six wickets for 15 runs in the first unofficial Test against India A in Mackay last month and has 11 wickets at an average of 34.27 in three Sheffield Shield games this season. Meanwhile, Abbott recently picked up six wickets against Tasmania in Sydney and has been around Australia’s Test squad for a while.
However, in Hazlewood’s absence, Scott Boland is expected to return to the XI. His last outing in Australian colours came in Ashes 2023 at Headingly and has been on the sidelines since.
It will be the first time since the Sydney 2015 Test that Australia will be without one of the four main bowlers – Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon – in a home Test against India. The second Test match starts on Friday (December 6) in Adelaide.
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