“He’s pretty despondent…”: Australian Assistant coach Daniel Vettori gives update on Josh Hazelwood

New Delhi: The Australian team has been dealt a major blow in the ongoing Test as their premiere fast bowler Josh Hazelwood is likely to miss the remainder of the Test series against India. Hazelwood suffered a calf strain during warm-ups on the fourth day in Brisbane.

Josh Hazelwood’s injury means Scott Boland will be set to return to the side for the Boxing Day Test at the MCG. Earlier, Hazelwood entered the game after missing the Adelaide test with a side strain. The Aussie bowler was late entering the field at the start of play on Tuesday. He was seen on the sidelines with head coach Andrew McDonald and team physio Nick Jones. Hazelwood’s injury was reflected in his bowling.

What next for Australia?

As the match progresses, all eyes will be on the results of Hazlewood’s scans. If the injury proves to be serious, Australia may have to make difficult decisions about his future involvement in the series. The team will be hoping for a quick recovery, but with the severity of calf injuries, the road to recovery could be longer than expected.

In such a precarious situation, the Aussies might go for the draw in the ongoing test while putting faith in Boland to bail them out in the subsequent matches of the series. Talking about the Gabba test, Nathan Lyon who has been relatively economical will need to step up alongside Cummins and Starc.