Trouble for Australia as Green recommended to undergo surgery, Starc could miss 1st Test vs India

The Australian Cricket team is facing injury issues in the ongoing Test series against South Africa. The Aussie side has found itself in trouble after their star players Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc got ruled out of the third Test against the Proteas. However, the trouble seems to not settle away as Cameron Green is set to undergo surgery on his broken finger, while Starch can miss the first Test against India in February.

A report in cricket.com.au said on Thursday after Australia’s innings and 182-run win against the Proteas in the second Test that Green had consulted a specialist, who had recommended surgery. Green was hit on the finger by an Anrich Nortje bouncer and was forced to retire on day two, but he batted through the pain on the third day to score an unbeaten half-century. However, the surgeons are hopeful that Green should recover in time to be considered for selection for the Border-Gavaskar series in India beginning on February 9.

Starc, though, does not require surgery for the tendon damage to his left middle finger, but the 32-year-old quick might not be available for the series opener against India in Nagpur on February 9. “India’s the next big tour and we’ll see where the time frame is with that. It’s my bowling hand so I’ve got to be pretty careful and make sure it heals properly,” Starc was quoted as saying after the win against the Proteas.

“The irony is (Green) will be back before I am. Bones are a bit quicker in the healing process, the tendon is a little bit different. I think we’ll both be seeing the same specialist. I still think everyone’s confident it will be more front-end (of the India tour). It will obviously depend on how it heals and how quickly it can do what it needs to do,” added Starc.

The left-arm pacer bowled through pain as he sent down 18 overs in the second innings and took the wicket of Proteas opener Sarel Erwee. “I wasn’t sure what to expect. I need the middle finger for control more than anything,” said Starc, who suffered the injury while fielding. “I’ve had a lot of painkillers. I could have jabbed it (to numb the finger) but I feel like I need the feeling of the ball on the finger, otherwise, I feel like I would have been spraying it everywhere,” the pacer added.

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