Cameron Green was on Monday ruled out of Australia’s five-Test series against India beginning next month, with the star all-rounder to undergo surgery on his spine this week. The 25-year-old, who has a history of stress fractures, complained of back pain during Australia’s one-day tour of England in September and was immediately sent home. “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,” Cricket Australia said.

“After thorough consultation it was determined Cameron would benefit from the surgery to stabilise the defect and reduce the risk of future recurrence.”

The governing body said his recovery time was 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,” it added.

The surgery will rule him out of the India series which starts in Perth on November 22 before moving to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

It would also put him out of February’s Test tour of Sri Lanka and the ICC Champions Trophy tournament.

His absence leaves a sizable hole to fill, given he is Australia’s clear fifth bowling option in support of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon.

Green has played 28 Tests, taking 35 wickets and scoring 1,377 runs, including a sizzling 174 not out in the first Test against New Zealand in March, underscoring his credentials as a pure batsman.

Former Australia skipper Mark Taylor feels that all-rounder Cameron Green’s injury could open up the door for Cameron Bancroft’s Test recall in the marquee Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India next month. Green is likely to miss the upcoming five-match Test series against India at home due to a surgery for a stress fracture on his lower back, according to reports. The 25-year-old seam-bowling all-rounder has previously suffered four stress fractures in his back but has not encountered any issues in that area since 2019.

Green’s absence would mean Australia will have to rejig their batting order.

“It’s an awkward one isn’t it? Cam Green was out of the Australian side during the Ashes series of last year and Mitch Marsh came in but Australia were very keen to get him back in,” Taylor said on ‘Wide World of Sports’.

Bancroft was tipped to fill the opening spot post David Warner’s retirement earlier this year but the selectors recalled Green to the Test side with Steve Smith being pushed to open the innings.

However, the veteran batter didn’t fare too well at the top and Taylor believes Smith will again drop down to the number four spot.

“I think Smith will move back to No.4. So the question is who will open? I’d love to see a right-handed opening batsman get the opportunity. And to me at the moment … I would have Bancroft penciled in alongside (Usman) Khawaja,” Taylor said.

Bancroft, who served a nine-month ban for his role in the 2018 ball-tampering incident, has been the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield for the last two years.

Taylor feels the selectors could also include young opener Sam Konstas, who hit back-to-back hundreds against South Australia in the Sheffield Shield, in the Test squad for the Border Gavaskar Trophy.

The five-match series starts on November 22 in Perth.

Australia’s fast-bowling all-rounder Cameron Green could miss the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India, starting from November 22 in Perth, due to a back surgery. Green was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his lower back which cut short his participation in Australia’s ODI series against England. A report in cricket.com.au says the allrounder met with Australian team officials late on Thursday night to discuss his options and has been presented with a choice of surgery or rehab after several days of consultations and analysis.

“Green is expected to decide within the coming days whether to go in for a similar medical procedure on his spine to the one that speedsters James Pattinson, Jason Behrendorff and Ben Dwarshuis have all previously undergone.

“The operation, performed by pioneering Christchurch surgeons Grahame Inglis and Rowan Schouten and which involves screws and titanium wire to bind vertebrae together, would rule Green out for months,” said the report.

Green, who debuted in Test cricket in 2020, was the player of the match in the first Test against New Zealand at Wellington in March after scoring a career-best knock of 174 not out. In 28 Tests, Green has a batting average of 48.57, apart from picking 35 wickets.

If Green decides to go for the surgery, considering he has a previous history of back stress fractures as a teenager, Australia would need a new number six batter and rejig their batting order for the highly-anticipated series against India, as well as for the tour for Sri Lanka.

In his absence, Mitchell Marsh may have to shoulder bowling workload, while Steve Smith could be back to batting at number four. Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, Matthew Renshaw, Nic Maddinson or teenaged batting prodigy Sam Konstas also come into the mix for opening the batting alongside Usman Khawaja.

Australia have another three Sheffield Shield matches and two ‘A’ team games against India ‘A’ at Brisbane and Mackay before the first Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test begins on November 22 at Perth Stadium.

Australian all-rounder Cameron Green’s participation in the upcoming marquee five-match Test series against fierce rivals India was on Friday thrown into doubt after a back injury ruled him out of the ongoing tour of England. Green, 25, has been withdrawn from the final two matches of Australia’s one-day international series against England after reporting soreness following the third game at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday. He was pulled out of Friday’s delayed fourth ODI at Lord’s due to the injury.

The batting all-rounder, who is returning home to begin his rehabilitation ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Test series, beginning in November, now faces a race to be fit for the much-anticipated assignment at home against a side that is leading the World Test Championship (WTC) chart at the moment.

Scans performed on the cricketer revealed a back injury, and a timeline for his possible return to action will be set after more tests are conducted in Australia.

According to cricket.com.au, an Australia men’s team spokesperson said the extent of the injury and a timeline for his return “wouldn’t be known until the player arrives home in Perth for further assessment”.

The cricketer reported soreness after the match in Chester-le-Street, where he picked 2 for 45 with the ball and scored 45 with the bat.

He was left out of the second ODI at Headingley to manage his workloads after bowling in the previous six matches of their UK tour.

Green, who has a history with back injuries, was prohibited from bowling during the 2019-20 summer due to a stress fracture in his lower back.

The first Test against India is nearly two months away, with the match starting on November 22 in Perth.

Australia Test captain Pat Cummins expects greater workload with the ball for all-rounders Cameron Green and Mitchell Marsh against India in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy this summer. Cummins wants both the all-rounders to share the workload with the team’s frontline pace attack in the gruelling five-Test series starting November. “It’s been huge (having the all-rounders). In some ways we haven’t had to use them as much as we thought we would. Which is a great thing. The last couple of summers have been pretty light (with) quick Test matches,” Cummins said at the launch of Play Cricket week.

“I suspect this summer might be a bit different at time. We’ll be drawing on Cam Green and Mitch Marsh a bit more.

“Even someone like Cam basically started in Shield cricket as a bowler but hasn’t had to bowl heaps in Test matches. Now he is a few years older, I think we will be leaning on him a bit more,” he added.

The 25-year-old Green has bagged 35 wickets at 35.31 in 28 Tests so far in his career.

“The first point is they (Green and Marsh) both absolutely make the top six on their batting alone which is a luxury,” Cummins said.

“We’re really lucky that Nathan Lyon bowls plenty of overs, so you don’t necessarily have to have an all-rounder, but it makes a big difference to have that fifth bowling option.

“And with someone like Cam and Mitch we have six bowling options. It’s a really nice thing to have. Top six should always make the team on their batting.” Cummins’ bowling colleagues have been vocal about how having a bowling captain has benefited the team in managing the workload.

“It’s nice of them to say that, they’d never say it to my face,” Cummins said.

“When I’m at the top of their mark asking them to do something, they know I’m also doing it down the other end and wouldn’t ask for something I can’t do myself. Maybe there’s a bit of built-up trust over the last decade or so.”

Former Mumbai Indians pacer Mitchell McClenaghan questioned the run-out dismissal of Rajasthan Royals (RR) batter Dhruv Jurel during the IPL 2024 Eliminator against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Wednesday. The incident happened on the first ball of the 14th over when Cameron Green inflicted the run out after a bullet throw by Virat Kohli from deep midwicket. It was a crucial moment in the game as Jurel’s dismissal tilted the game in favour of RCB momentarily. The third umpire took his time to make a decision before finally giving Jurel his marching orders.

*_*

13.1

W

Green to Riyan Parag, out Dhruv Jurel Run Out!!

*1 run completed Dhruv Jurel run out (Kohli/Green) 8(8) [4s-1]Green to Riyan Parag, THATS OUT!! Run Out!! *#iplticket#IPL2024 pic.twitter.com/WrtTwzlYJs

— babar azam (@akbarbirba64206) May 22, 2024

While Kohli and Green were praised by the fans and commentators, McClenaghan questioned the decision made by the third umpire, questioning if the laws of the game have changed.

“Always thought you had to have the ball held in your hand to cause a runout… have the rules changed?,” McClenaghan wrote in a post on X.

Always thought you had to have the ball held in your hand to cause a runout… have the rules changed? #RRvRCB

— Mitchell McClenaghan (@Mitch_Savage) May 22, 2024

McClenaghan backed his claim by sharing a screenshot of the rule book.

“The wicket is broken fairly if a bail is completely removed from the top of the stumps, or a stump is struck out of the ground by a fielder with his hand or arm, providing that the ball is held in the hand or hands so used, or in the hand of the arm so used,” the rule stated.

‘Held’ is to ‘Hold’ something https://t.co/KqXEI4lNTt pic.twitter.com/oe3ZrsggTc

— Mitchell McClenaghan (@Mitch_Savage) May 22, 2024

Jurel’s dismissal, however, turned out to be a minor hiccup in RR’s chase as Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer and Rovman Powell played handy cameos to steer them home.

The win saw RR helped them to reach the Qualifier 2 and also knock RCB out of the tournament.

RR will take on SRH on Friday for a place in the final against Kolkata Knight Riders.