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Australia all-rounder Cameron Green is making progress in his recovery from an abdominal injury but remains uncertain for the second Test against South Africa in Gqeberha. Head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed that Cameron Green has yet to resume batting after suffering the injury in the final ODI late last month.
Australia took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series after a commanding 214-run victory in Durban. The quick turnaround before the second Test, which begins on Thursday, leaves limited time to assess Cameron Green's fitness. Josh Inglis is also working towards a return after fracturing his finger in the first ODI.
Cameron Green and Josh Inglis Step Up Rehabilitation
Cameron Green completed running drills on the outfield during lunch on the final day of the Durban Test, keeping hopes of a return alive. However, Andrew McDonald has indicated that Cameron Green is unlikely to bowl during the tour, even if he is fit enough to play as a specialist batter.
“[Cameron Green's] progressing well,” McDonald said after Australia's victory in Durban. “He's got a few things to go through in the next three, four days. He'll progress [on] that and, on the back of a soft tissue injury, it can accelerate quite quickly.”
Inglis has returned to batting practice after rejoining the squad following his fractured finger. He batted in the nets during the Durban Test and will increase his workload during training in Gqeberha from Thursday.
“Josh had a couple of hits during this Test match out the back of the nets during lunchtime and that's gone well. It'll be more about the comfort with the splint and how that progresses. He'll have bat vs ball sessions in PE [Gqeberha] and we'll get more information there,” McDonald said.
Matt Renshaw's Performance Gives Australia Batting Flexibility
Cameron Green's injury forced Australia to change their batting order for the first Test, with Nic Maddinson opening alongside Travis Head and Matt Renshaw moving to No. 5. Captain Pat Cummins played a key role in supporting the reshuffle, which proved successful in Durban.
Renshaw scored 272 runs across the two innings, including an unbeaten 190, and took two wickets in the final innings. His performance helped Australia secure a 214-run victory and strengthened the case for a flexible approach to the batting order.
McDonald said the team finalised its batting combination only two days before the Test after reviewing its options.
“We put all the options back on the table and we go, okay, what's the best order at this point in time? That's how it played out,” McDonald said.
“We didn't make that decision until two days out on the back of our strategy meeting. I think the pleasing part internally from our group is that they [the players] are willing to embrace the role that we think as a collective and can go out there and execute and win a Test match.”
“I suppose the external view on that is that you need specific orders at certain times and this person's an opener, this person's a middle-order player,” McDonald said. “I think we're more open-minded than that.”
Australia Monitor Fast Bowlers' Workloads Ahead of Second Test
Australia's pace attack faces a demanding schedule, with only four days between the first and second Tests and a similar turnaround before the series finale in Cape Town. The team will assess the bowlers' fitness before deciding whether any changes are needed.
Mitchell Starc bowled 33 overs in Durban, while Josh Hazlewood delivered 32.5 overs and Cummins bowled 29. Nathan Lyon provided control across both innings, while sharp fielding and catching supported the attack. Scott Boland and Michael Neser remain the reserve pace options.
McDonald stressed the importance of Australia's sports science and sports medicine (SSSM) team in managing the workload of the experienced fast bowlers.
“Over the next couple of days we'll assess where everyone is at,” McDonald said. “There's a fair bit to work through in that space but our SSSM [sports science sports medicine] team are incredibly important to us with that cohort of fast bowlers that aren't getting any younger.”
“The management and the investment that they also put into their own bodies to get ready is a credit to them and you see that play out,” McDonald concluded.
