Advantage for India: Cameron Green's injury forces him to play as pure batter in BGT 2024-25

Australia have been dealt with a huge blow ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. Star allrounder Cameron Green has suffered a back injury and is expected to play purely as a batter during the initial part of a five-match Test series against India.

Green is a key player for Australia as he was slotted to bat at the crucial No. 4 spot. He is a valuable fast bowler who bowls with good pace and can extract extra bounce because of his height.

Cameron Green was in Australia's squad for the ODI series against England but complained of back soreness after the third ODI of the series. He bowled six overs in the match but was further taken for scans. It was later found that the damage had been already done to rule him out.

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Cameron Green to play the initial phase of BGT 2024-25 as a batter

Cameron Green set to start Border Gavaskar Trophy as a pure batter. (The Age). pic.twitter.com/3oork4rrUg

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) October 8, 2024

While Cricket Australia is yet to formally announce the details regarding Green's injury, a report in The Age confirmed that he will be unable to bowl in the initial Tests of the series.

It is believed that the allrounder can be fit to bowl in the last phase of the series which involves the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the New Year Test in Sydney. Green might be required to bowl during the last two Tests given the bowling line-up might be tired after a long season.

In the absence of Cameron Green, allrounder Mitchell Marsh and offspinner Nathan Lyon will be required to bowl a few more overs. Marsh is slotted to bat at No. 6 in Australia's Test team and is a capable bowler as well. Offspinner Nathan Lyon is used to bowling long spells on these pitches.

Cameron Green at No. 4 for Australia

Green used to bat at No. 6 but was moved up the order after Steve Smith vacated the No. 4 spot to open the innings after David Warner's retirement. The allrounder scored a magnificent 174 in the first Test Australia's last Test series against New Zealand while batting at No. 4.

Australia's former team doctor Peter Brukner revealed that a back stress injury would not affect Green's batting and fielding in Tests.

“The issue is the load, and as the bone recovers, you gradually increase the load through the bone. The load comes mainly from bowling – batting and fielding don’t put a huge load on that part of the body, so it’s feasible that once the pain settles down you can bat and field without too many problems and feel fine," Brukner was quoted as saying by The Age.

“It’s just that if you were to bowl 10 overs you’d probably break down again. So it’s a case of slowly building up the load so the bone basically adjusts to the load and gets stronger. There’s a bit of an art to it,” he added.

Replacements of Cameron Green

Australia can also call up reserve bowlers like Michael Neser and Scott Boland to make up for Cameron Green's bowling. Neser has been playing domestic cricket and for Australia A for a long time. He is also a capable lower-order batter.

On the other hand, Scott Boland has an excellent record in Tests, especially in Australia but is not part of the first-choice Playing XI given the presence of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins.