Injury crisis in Australian camp hands India huge boost ahead of Border Gavaskar Trophy

Huge news has come onto the Australian camp as all-rounder Cameron Green is set to be sidelined for nearly 6 months. The 25-year-old will miss the entire Border Gavaskar Trophy against India starting on 22nd November in Perth. According to reports, Green is set to undergo surgery after suffering another stress fracture. 

Cricket Australia has put out a statement which read, “Cam has a unique defect in an adjacent area to the fracture that is believed to be contributing to the injury. After a thorough consultation, it was determined Cameron would benefit from the surgery to stabilize the defect and reduce the risk of future recurrence."

The 25-year-old has played 28 matches and scored 1377 runs with 2 centuries and 6 fifties with an average of 36. Cameron Green also picked 35 wickets with the ball with a best of 5/28, which is his only fifer in Test cricket. Australia will now look at alternatives with just under 40 days to go for the series. 

Steve Smith is confirmed to bat at number 4 against India 

Former Australian skipper turned selector George Bailey has confirmed that Usman Khawaja will have a new opening partner. Steve Smith is set to resume batting at number 4 during the massive series against India. 

While addressing the media, Bailey said, "Captain Pat Cummins, coach Andrew McDonald, and Steve Smith had been having ongoing conversations, separate to the untimely injury to Cameron Green”. 

Bailey further added, “Steve had expressed a desire to move back down from that opening position, and Pat and Andrew have confirmed that he will be dropping back down the order for the summer." Steve Smith has been opening the batting for Australia since David Warner’s retirement earlier this year. 

While addressing Green’s absence, Bailey said, “They've done it in the past, You don't know how each Test is going to play out in terms of the workload for the quicks, or how much of an impact Nathan Lyon's going to have across the summer.”

The Australian selector also said, “We certainly have been and will continue preparing for Mitch Marsh to be able to bowl some overs as well, and that's been part of his management and build for the last couple of months. So there's other ways. There's teams that have played, and we've been a team that has played, without an allrounder in the past. There's more than one way to structure up a team."