Green around the gills: All-rounder’s injury intrigue deepens as Australia redraft plans for India

Star all-rounder Cameron Green is in severe doubt for the start of this summer’s Test series against India and may be missing for an even longer period if he requires back surgery.

Australia’s selectors are redrafting their plans for Australia’s top six for the Border-Gavaskar bout without Green, who has a history of stress fractures in his back, as the status of his injury became murkier.

Cameron Green is a crucial piece of Australia’s Test side.Credit: Getty Images

At the start of this week, selectors met and discussed scenarios around Green’s availability, based on expectations that he would need considerable time out from bowling due to a back stress injury but would likely be fit to play as one of the country’s best six batters.

However, things changed late on Tuesday, according to three sources speaking on condition of anonymity to speak freely, amid more sobering medical reports around the complexity of Green’s situation.

One possible remedy is back surgery, which would sideline Green for months.

More meetings have been scheduled on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss Green’s status and when he may return.

As of Australia’s most recent Test series in New Zealand in February, the next best option to slot into Australia’s top six was deemed to be Queensland opener Matt Renshaw, who was due to bat in Perth later on Wednesday.

However, the likes of Victoria’s Marcus Harris (a century on Tuesday) and WA’s Cameron Bancroft (a golden duck) have also been near the front of the queue, while other younger players are pushing too – including 19-year-old NSW centurion Sam Konstas.

As a teenager, Green suffered a succession of back stress fractures at a time when he was widely considered more of a bowler than a batter.

While he recovered from those to make his presence felt for Western Australia and quickly earn elevation to the Test team as a batting all-rounder in 2020, Green remained on stringent bowling restrictions for some time due to his history.

All teams Green has represented – including the Mumbai Indians in the IPL after he fetched a $3 million auction price in 2022 – have kept a careful watch on his bowling loads since.

After signing with the IPL in the same year Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc skipped it due to a heavy overseas schedule – including the Ashes and the World Cup – Green has played through one of the more hectic calendars in the game.

Following another IPL campaign this year, Green complained of back pain on the recent Australian white-ball tour of the UK, which led to reassessments of his condition given his injury history.

His returns with the bat trailed off across 2023 and into this year, before his elevation to No.4 following David Warner’s retirement and a superb century in seaming conditions against New Zealand in Wellington.

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