Aussies suffer injury blow for series opener

1 year ago 89

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood volition miss astatine slightest the archetypal Test against South Africa owed to a broadside strain.

The 31-year-old has been near retired of the 14-man squad for the lucifer successful Brisbane.

Captain Pat Cummins is apt to instrumentality after missing the Test against the West Indies successful Adelaide.

The omission of Hazlewood is the lone alteration to the squad that hammered the West Indies by 419 runs successful Adelaide.

"Pat continues to improve, helium bowled with state connected Saturday and appears apt to play this lucifer though Josh volition request much time," said enactment brag George Bailey.

"With that successful caput we person retained Michael Neser and Lance Morris successful the squad for this match."

The apt instrumentality of Cummins from a quad strain means either Neser oregon Scott Boland volition request to marque way.

Both were awesome successful Adelaide, Neser claiming 5 wickets for the lucifer and Boland three, which each came successful the aforesaid implicit connected Saturday night.

The Gabba is Neser's location crushed but Boland would apt get the nod, fixed helium was portion of the squad astatine the commencement of the West Indies series. Neser and Morris were added aft the archetypal Test.

"Michael bowled superbly successful Adelaide, arsenic did Scott. We were impressed arsenic ever with their performances that backed up what they person achieved successful the past. Lance is simply a precise breathtaking imaginable who volition payment from clip with the squad," Bailey said.

"With truthful overmuch cricket ahead, we proceed to question opportunities to turn and support our fast-bowling acquisition and depth."

Australia squad for archetypal Test v SA: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

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