Australia had started the India series with their usual bowling quartet – the pace trio of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and captain Pat Cummins, supported by the lone spinner, Nathan Lyon. Hazlewood was the pick of their bowlers at Perth: after 4-29 in the first innings, he had 1-28 in 21 overs as the tourists declared on 487-6.
However, when he missed the second Test of the series, the day-night match at Adelaide, Australia replaced him with Scott Boland, who had 2-54 and 3-51 as the hosts squared the series.
After Australia posted 445 in the third Test, at Brisbane, India were quickly reduced to 44-4 on the third evening amidst bursts of rain. Hazlewood played his part, taking out Virat Kohli. He sent down an innocuous over on the fourth morning before leaving the ground with an injured right calf. He subsequently went for scans.
Later, on air on Fox Cricket, Adam Gilchrist confirmed that Hazlewood has been ruled out of the remainder of the Brisbane Test, which will leave Australia a bowler short. He is also set to miss the fourth Test match, at Melbourne, and the fifth, at Sydney.
“Josh Hazlewood has sustained a right-sided calf strain, which will prevent him from playing any further part in this Test match. He sustained the injury during the warm-up this morning,” said Gilchrist.
“He is likely to miss the remainder of the Test series. A squad replacement will be made in due course. So essentially, Josh Hazlewood is out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Josh Hazlewood's calf strain will keep him out of the rest of the Test...
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 17, 2024
And he is likely to miss the remainder of the series 😮
(via @plalor) #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/CdsZop4Pfx
Hazlewood had made his Test debut against India in the 2014-15 home series. Of Hazlewood’s 279 Test wickets (at 24.57), 57 have been against India (at 25.49).
At the time of writing, India were 209-8 in their first innings. They need another 37 to avoid the follow-on.
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