Australian allrounder Cameron Green on Wednesday was ruled out of the third Sydney Test against South Africa with a fractured finger, and he will not bowl again in Melbourne.
The 23-year-old took a nasty rap on his finger from fast bowler Anrich Nortje while batting on day two of the second Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.
He retired hurt and went for scans.
“Cameron Green has a small fracture on his right index finger," Cricket Australia said.
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“He will bat again in this match but will not bowl, followed by a period of recovery leading into the tour of India (in February).
It means Green — the second-most expensive buy at the recent Indian Premier League auction — will miss the third and final Test against the Proteas next week.
His inability to bowl in South Africa’s second innings in Melbourne is a big blow, having taken a career-best 5-27 in their first innings’ 189.
Australia is also sweating on pace spearhead Mitchell Starc, who hurt a finger as well on Monday. If he is unavailable for the rest of the Melbourne Test, Australia will be down to just three fit bowlers — captain Pat Cummins, fellow paceman Scott Boland and spinner Nathan Lyon.
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South Africa took four wickets, including David Warner first ball after he resumed on 200, but a half-century from Alex Carey strengthened Australia’s grip on the second Test.
At lunch on day three, the hosts were 479/7 in their first innings, leading by 290, with Carey not out 62 and a ginger Green, batting with a fractured finger, on 14.
They began on 386/3 with Travis Head on 48 and Carey nine after a herculean unbeaten 200 from Warner in his 100th Test in gruelling heat on day two.
The veteran opener retired exhausted with severe cramp after making his third Test double century, but he resumed his innings when Head was out for 51, walking out to huge applause.
He told host broadcaster Fox before play began that he had a “rough night’s sleep".
“I probably woke up six or seven times," he added, and was bowled first ball by an Anrich Nortje yorker as Australia lost three wickets for five runs.
Temperatures were much cooler than the 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 Fahrenheit) on Tuesday, with conditions overcast and humid — generally favourable to the bowlers.
And the ever-dangerous Nortje took advantage, bowling Head in the third over before snaring a bewildered Warner next ball.
Pat Cummins fended off the hat-trick delivery, but he did not last long.
The Australian skipper fell to the third ball he faced when South Africa successfully reviewed a caught behind decision off Kagiso Rabada’s bowling that was initially denied by the umpire.
Carey was joined by Nathan Lyon and they steaded the ship.
Lyon made an entertaining 25 before holing out to Khaya Zondo off Lungi Ngidi
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)