It hasn’t been positive news for Australia seven weeks before the start of the first Test of the five-match series of the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, as their premier all-rounder Cameron Green has been ruled out of the fifth and final ODI in Bristol against England with a back injury and is in doubt for the opening Perth Test against India in the home summer.
Cameron Green reported soreness at the end of the third Durham ODI game, where he bowled a significant amount of short balls at the batter. The team awaits the scan reports before the all-rounder goes through further assessment upon returning home to understand the full extent of the injury.
It’s not the first time for the all-rounder to suffer this injury. He has previously suffered a stress fracture on the back in the past as he was coming through a domestic system and again in 2019 when he was handed his Test debut.
Cameron Green at risk of missing five Tests vs India
For Australia to have a good chance of winning the upcoming series, the lanky pacer will have to go through a great time with the bat and ball in hand. There have been talks of bringing down Steve Smith at his usual place of number four, and if the Western Australian misses out, then it would open the vacancy in the middle order.
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“Cameron Green has sustained a back injury and will play no further part in the ODI tour of England. Scans in London overnight revealed the injury after Green reported soreness following the third ODI against England in Durham.” The statement issued by Cricket Australia (CA) noted. “He will return home for further assessment where his return to play management plan will be determined.”
There is no timeline for the potential layoff because of the injury, but if it gets onto an extended one, then he is in danger of missing the first part of the home series against India. That’s not promising news after he re-established himself in the team after his unbeaten 174-run knock in Wellington at the start of the year.
“Disappointing for him. Cameron Green will go home and get things sorted. I don’t know a hell of a lot of details but, he’s been through these things before, Cam, it’s disappointing but, he’ll know the way to get back.” The left-handed opening batter of the side, Travis Head, remarked after the Lord’s ODI.
The head coach of the team, Andrew McDonald, confirmed that the top six of the side is almost confirmed, apart from any injury in the game. However, they have kept the door open for an extra opening batter to come into the team for the likes of Cameron Bancroft, Matt Renshaw, and Marcus Harris. Renshaw was in the squad during their New Zealand series after the retirement of David Warner.
“We know with Cameron Green; he has had stress fractures in his back in the past. Let’s hope it’s not that. They still have the option of playing him as a batsman if it’s not too bad.“ The former captain of Australia, Ricky Ponting, discussed on Sky Sports.
The injury has now put the spotlight back on Mitchell Marsh, who hasn’t bowled much since picking up the injury in the IPL until he took the ball at Lord’s and picked up the wicket of Will Jacks in the second over.
The 25-year-old was expected to turn up for the WA in the Sheffield Shield games in October, before the start of the home summer, where Pakistan will play T20Is and ODIs ahead of the five-match Test series against India.