By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE (Reuters) -Australia all-rounder Cameron Green will miss the home test series against India in a blow for the hosts after opting for surgery on a stress fracture in his lumbar spine.
The fast-bowling Green was diagnosed with a lower back injury during the ODI series in England, fanning speculation about his availability for the India tests.
Cricket Australia confirmed last week that Green was considering surgery to be performed by New Zealand specialists who have previously helped fast bowlers including Shane Bond and James Pattinson overcome back stress fractures.
The alternative to surgery would have been to undergo rehabilitation and limit his bowling in the India series.
Green’s condition was complex, though, and the decision to undergo surgery was aimed at ensuring he could bowl long term, a team spokesperson said on Monday.
“Whilst spine stress fractures are not unusual in pace bowlers, Cam has a unique defect in an adjacent area to the fracture that is believed to be contributing to the injury,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“Recovery time is anticipated to be around six months. The decision to proceed to surgery is with Cameron’s long-term future as an all-rounder in mind.”
The injury is a major blow to Australia’s hopes of beating India in the five-test series starting on Nov. 22 in Perth.
India have won the last four series between the teams, including the back-to-back tours of Australia in 2018-19 and 2020-21.
While selectors have been cautious about over-bowling Green, who suffered back stress fractures as a junior and state-level cricketer, the 25-year-old has taken 35 wickets at an average of 35.31 and given invaluable support to the team’s ageing attack.
His batting has also developed steadily and he scored his second hundred against New Zealand in February with a majestic, unbeaten 174 in Wellington.
Green batted at number four in his last four tests, with Steve Smith moving up the order to replace retired opener David Warner, and his absence will mean a shake-up for Australia’s batting order.
With Smith averaging 28.50 opening in the last four tests versus his stellar career average of 56.97, selectors may be inclined to restore him to number four and bring in a specialist opener.
Victoria opener Marcus Harris, who played the last of his 14 tests nearly three years ago, did his chances of selection no harm with scores of 143 and 52 in the Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania last week.
New South Wales’ 19-year-old opener Sam Konstas has also impressed with twin centuries against South Australia, making him the first player to do so in a Sheffield Shield match since Ricky Ponting.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Peter Rutherford)
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