PERTH — Australia all-rounder Cameron Green will miss the first test against South Africa after failing to recover from an abdominal strain, coach Andrew McDonald said on Tuesday.
Green was injured during the final one-day international against South Africa in Potchefstroom last Wednesday after being struck in the stomach by a full toss from Corbin Bosch.
Two balls later, his attempted pull shot came off his gloves and he was caught as he fell to the ground, straining his abdominal muscles.
“It’s an odd one and had our medical team scrambling, so I’m not going to go down what the medical said around it, but there’s not a hell of a lot of evidence in these injuries in cricket,” McDonald told a news conference.
“They said it’s a stabilising muscle, so I think that’s a better result than a rotational muscle.”
Green remains in contention for the second test in Gqeberha and the third in Cape Town.
“He’s progressing pretty well, all things considered, on the back of the injury that he had to his abdominal,” McDonald said. “He’s still here for a reason, so there is some light at the end of the tunnel. It’ll just be a matter of going through the rehab.”
The 27-year-old began the southern Africa tour with a shoulder problem that ruled him out of three ODIs against Zimbabwe, but returned for Australia’s three matches against South Africa.
Green’s absence is a setback for Australia, particularly after he scored his first home test century in August during a surprise defeat by Bangladesh in Darwin.
Cooper Connolly, 23, could make his second test appearance after his debut against Sri Lanka in Galle in February, although McDonald said Australia would wait for more information on the pitch before finalising their lineup.
Green’s injury leaves Australia without one of their key all-round options for the opening test, while his progress during rehabilitation will determine whether he can return later in the series.
