Travis Head will probably start the batting in the third Test at Indore if Warner’s elbow isn’t healthy.
Josh Hazlewood will be returning home, as verified by Australia’s coach Andrew McDonald.
Photo Credit: espncricinfo.com
Josh Hazlewood, the fast bowler from Australia, has been ruled out of the last two matches of the Border-Gavaskar series due to injury and will return home. Furthermore, concerns about David Warner’s fitness for the remaining games persist, as Australia evaluates further changes to the squad in the wake of their catastrophic loss in Delhi. Hazlewood was initially unavailable for the first two tests owing to Achilles tendonitis, and was replaced by Scott Boland in the opening match in Nagpur. In the Delhi Test, Australia opted for three spinners and only one pace bowler. Warner, on the other hand, was substituted out of the Delhi Test after sustaining a concussion, and in a separate incident, also suffered a hairline fracture in his left elbow while facing India’s Mohammed Siraj.
Andrew McDonald, the coach of the Australian cricket team, has verified that Hazlewood will fly back home to continue his recovery from Achilles tendonitis. At the same time, Warner’s health will be closely monitored over the next several days, and it is hoped that he will be able to participate in the remaining two matches. However, the decision on his availability will be made by the medical staff. On Monday, McDonald made the announcement that “Josh Hazlewood is out and will be returning home.”
At present, Warner is experiencing discomfort, as confirmed by Andrew McDonald, the coach of the Australian team, during a recent meeting. “We’re in no rush to make any decisions at this point in time, Davey. Just seeing how that settles and how functional that is,” he said. McDonald stated that the decision on Warner’s involvement in the remaining matches will be based on the level of pain and how well he can perform. There are no definite timelines for his recovery, with reports indicating that it could range from a week to a month, based on how it heals. The medical staff will keep McDonald informed as the situation develops.
With nine days to recover before the third Test, there is less concern about Warner’s concussion, and he is expected to pass the mandatory protocols in time. However, his elbow injury is a cause for worry, and the medical team will monitor him closely to determine if he is fit to play. In the event of Warner’s absence, Travis Head is likely to open in Indore, having demonstrated his ability to start strong in subcontinental conditions with an impressive 43 in the second innings in Delhi. The selectors will have to make some tough decisions if Warner is fit to play, and McDonald revealed that Head is not considered an opener in all conditions, only in subcontinental conditions where he can excel at getting off to a fast start. In other conditions, he is better suited to the middle order.
RELATED
Due to a health problem within the family, Cummins returns home.
Australia is wounded by death by a thousand wounds.
Warner was replaced because of an injury.
According to coach Andrew McDonald, captain Pat Cummins has left the squad for personal reasons but is expected to return and lead the team in the third Test. While there may be further changes to the squad, McDonald stated that they are unlikely to bring in new players unless Warner is ruled out. Currently, the squad has 18 players in Delhi and one more, Mitchell Swepson, who had gone back home before the second Test for the birth of his child and may join the team for the third Test.
For the Indore Test, Green and Starc should be accessible.
Photo Credit: espncricinfo.com
Australia’s Cameron Green is expected to recover fully and be available for the Indore Test after missing the second match due to doubts over his broken finger. Andrew McDonald, the coach, revealed that Green was close to playing in Delhi, but experienced some discomfort and jarring while batting in Bangalore. They considered using him as a concussion substitute, but ultimately decided to give him more time to recover fully. McDonald said that the team is “better off loading up for the third Test match and in a good frame of mind.”
It sounds like Australia will have a much stronger squad for the third Test, with Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc both expected to be fit. The team is still waiting to see if David Warner will be available, as he is dealing with both a concussion and a hairline fracture in his elbow. If Warner can’t play, Travis Head is likely to open the batting in his place. Captain Pat Cummins is expected to return to lead the side after taking a break for personal reasons. Todd Murphy is also dealing with a minor injury, but is expected to be fully fit for the third Test. Overall, it seems like Australia will have some tough decisions to make regarding their starting lineup for the next match.
Morris and Agar might be told to go home.
Photo Credit: espncricinfo.com
It seems like Ashton Agar has fallen down the pecking order for Australia’s Test side and could be sent home to play domestic cricket for Western Australia prior to the ODI series. Despite starting the tour as the second-choice spinner, Agar has been plagued by confidence issues and has not played a Test yet, while Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann made their debut. Lance Morris is also a candidate to be sent home after coming on tour as a spare fast bowler. The team may not even play two specialist quicks in the final two Tests, having found success with three spinners in the second Test.
As the Australian cricket team prepares for the third Test against India, there are some question marks over the makeup of the squad. With Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc both expected to be available for the match, some players may be sent back to Australia to play domestic cricket.
Speaking to the media, assistant coach Andrew McDonald revealed that the team was considering whether they were carrying too many players and whether some could be released to play domestic cricket. Although he did not name any players specifically, it is widely speculated that Ashton Agar and Lance Morris are the players most likely to be sent back to Australia.
Agar had started the tour as the second-choice spinner, but he has struggled with confidence issues and has been overtaken by Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann, both of whom made their debuts during the tour. Meanwhile, Morris was brought along as a spare fast bowler but has not featured in any of the Test matches so far.
The decision to send players back to Australia would not be formal, but McDonald stressed that there was cricket going on back home and that it was important for players to be playing cricket if they were not part of the current Test squad. He also suggested that the team was still figuring out the best structure for the squad in the upcoming Test matches.
“We’ve got to be clear on what we want to achieve in the next two Test matches in terms of the structure of the team,” McDonald said. “Once we get our heads around that, there’s an opportunity for players to be playing cricket back home, and we value that.”
The Australian team has had a mixed tour so far, losing the first test to India but bouncing back to win the second test in dominant fashion. The third test, which will be held in Indore, is a crucial match for both teams as they seek to gain the upper hand in the series.
Maxwell is unlikely to be selected for the tests against India.
In a recent interview, Andrew McDonald, the Australian assistant coach, addressed the possibility of Glenn Maxwell being called up to the Test squad after his recent Sheffield Shield return for Victoria. McDonald poured cold water on the prospect, noting that Maxwell had only played one game and didn’t perform well in it. Maxwell only scored 5 runs in the Shield match, although he did score 61 runs in a club cricket game.
McDonald did not completely rule out the possibility of Maxwell being considered for the Test squad in the future, but he emphasized that the focus was currently on the upcoming one-day series. He stated that if Maxwell gets through everything that he needs to, then he will be a starter for the one-day series. After that, any further opportunities for Maxwell to play for the Test squad will be discussed.
It is clear that the Australian team management is taking a careful and considered approach to player selection, taking into account factors such as form, fitness, and the overall structure of the team. While Maxwell is a talented and experienced player, he will have to work hard to earn a spot in the Test squad, especially with other players performing well and returning from injury.
