All-rounder Cameron Green has not been ruled out of facing India in the first of four Tests next month despite his finger injury, Australia coach Andrew McDonald said yesterday.
Green broke his finger in the home South Africa series at the end of last year and has not played a match since, raising questions over whether he would be fit for the start of the first Test in Nagpur on Feb. 9.
“He hasn’t been ruled out,” McDonald told ABC ahead of the team’s departure today.
“We just want to make sure we set up all our players up for success and there isn’t much time left from now to the four-week check-in around his finger to the start of that Test match. We’ll see how he goes in the build-up and make that decision when we get on the ground in India.”
While Green has provided a welcome fast-bowling option for Australia, McDonald has made it clear that he is valued foremost for his middle-order batting and could be selected on that basis alone.
McDonald said left-arm quick Mitchell Starc was still in a splint because of his damaged finger and will definitely miss the first test, as expected.
“Nothing’s changed in terms of where he’s at – he’ll be available for the second Test match, assuming that all things go well,” he said.
“But we can’t accelerate that with the nature of the injury.”
Australia are looking to win a Test series in India for the first time since 2004 and four spinners and six pacemen were named in the squad for the tour.
“We feel like when we get on that plane we’ll have great options for the captain and the selectors to work through and put on the park,” McDonald said.
After the opener in Nagpur, Australia also play Tests in New Delhi, Dharamsala and Ahmedabad with a one-day international series to follow.
Run machine Smith wins fourth Allan Border medal
Australia run machine Steve Smith clinched his fourth Allan Border Medal yesterday, becoming only the third player, after Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke, to achieve the feat.
Smith polled 171 votes, while nearest rival Travis Head managed 144, to claim Australian cricket’s greatest individual honour which he had previously won in 2015, 2018 and 2021.
Former captain Smith racked up 1,524 runs, which included four hundreds, during the voting period and was crucial to Australia’s rise to number one in the test rankings.
Such was his domination in the two other formats that it did not matter in the end that Smith did not poll a single vote in the T20 Internationals.
Smith will be one of Australia’s key figures as they embark on a four-test tour in India where they hope to secure their place in the final of the World Test Championship.
The 33-year-old has been in strong form in 50-overs cricket too and famously quipped “I’m back, baby” during an ODI against England in November after a successful technique tweak.
He, however, lost the men’s ODI player of the year award to David Warner on countback, while Marcus Stoinis won the T20 honours ahead of Josh Hazlewood.
Opener Usman Khawaja claimed the Shane Warne award for the men’s Test player of the year after a prolific 12 months during which he scored 1,020 at an average of 78.46.
Beth Mooney won her second Belinda Clark Award to be crowned Australia’s best women’s cricketer after delivering consistently across all three formats.
Cameron Green
