Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Will Cameron Green play as pure batter?
Australia's all-rounder Cameron Green is likely to play as a batter for the impending Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India Down Under. However, a back injury will restrict his bowling capabilities. Cricket Australia is currently strategizing around his recovery timeline. The Age reports that Mitchell Marsh and Nathan Lyon are expected to step up in the bowling department during this challenging five-Test series. Here's more on this.
Injury details to be disclosed soon
It is understood that Cricket Australia will reveal the details of Green's back injury later this week. Although he has been ruled out of the Sheffield Shield Round 1, Green could feature as a specialist batter for Australia A against India A at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in early November.
Green's role in top six
Green, despite his all-rounder status being compromised by injury, remains a crucial figure in Australia's top six against India. This is underscored by his promotion to number four following David Warner's retirement last summer and Steve Smith's promotion at the top to accommodate him. The back stress injury won't stop Green from batting in Test matches once initial pain has subsided and the bone begins healing, former Australian team doctor Peter Brukner said.
Back discomfort and recovery process
Green felt pain in his back after the 3rd ODI against England, which led to an immediate return to Perth for scans. Brukner explained that any hint of back pain leads to an MRI to detect bone edema, an early sign of stress. He stressed that the load mainly comes from bowling, while batting and fielding don't put a significant strain on that part of the body.
