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For good cause, Australia’s pace-bowling depth is often discussed, but at this moment it is being put to the test. With respect to the limited-overs tour of the United Kingdom, the list of ailments and absences has grown considerably.
The latest player to be declared out following a side strain sustained in the opening Twenty20 International match against England was Xavier Bartlett. Due to an injury he had incurred in the Hundred, Nathan Ellis had to cancel his trip early in the Scotland leg. Before the tour started, Spencer Johnson (side) was declared ineligible. A side ailment also prevented Riley Meredith from playing following the first Twenty20 International in Scotland.
Due to a small calf strain, Josh Hazlewood was unable to play straight away from the start but was rested in Cardiff after bowling brilliantly in Southampton. He is essential to Australia’s plans for the five Test matches against India in the country this summer because he is one of the big three. Prior to that, every cricket match is played with the intention of ensuring that Mitchell Starc, Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins can sustain throughout the series, particularly for the fast bowlers.
“A lot of our priorities will be geared around that,” Andrew McDonald, Australia’s coach, told SEN last week. “You’ll see that unfold with the management of our players. We’ll be very pointed around who does what in terms of [Sheffield] Shield cricket coming into the summer to make sure that they are ready for that first Test match.”
Although players who have sustained injuries in England are not expected to be the next in line for Test places, there are concerns regarding the red-ball reserves. After yet another off-season plagued by back issues, Lance Morris will be cautiously reintroduced to the Sheffield Shield, while Jhye Richardson, his Western Australia teammate, will continue to be a longer-term red-ball cricket project.
Both Michael Neser and Scott Boland have also been sidelined by preseason injuries; the former will probably be treated through the Sheffield Shield’s early stages, but neither is regarded as a serious concern. Sean Abbott, who nipped the ball around sharply in his opening over in Cardiff on Friday, might not have looked out of place in a Test match.
Starc will play in the England ODI series, but he’ll be closely watched throughout the games. Cummins has stayed at home to focus on his training and strength. With the series spanning just 11 days, it would be surprising if Hazlewood played more than three of the one-dayers, though the postponed game in Manchester provided some additional time off.
In terms of how they handle their precious multi-format fast bowlers, Australia is by no means unique. While Mohammed Shami’s return from an ankle ailment is a little behind track and may need careful supervision ahead of the Australia tour, India is cautious about how much Jasprit Bumrah plays.
The long run of ailments involving Australia’s fast bowlers serves as a reminder of the remarkable resiliency of players like Cummins, Starc, and most recently Hazlewood, as well as the fact that even the best-laid plans can fall apart with ease. They participated in all of the ODI World Cup matches, with the exception of the one in which Starc was rested, against Pakistan, the West Indies, and New Zealand, without the assistance of any of the five-day Test matches from the previous season.
Since 2018, Cummins has only missed one Test due to an injury; the other two were caused by compassionate leave and Covid. Starc was sidelined for the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston and missed three straight matches against South Africa and India in early 2023 because of a finger injury, but he has been nearly as resilient, frequently bowling through discomfort from a variety of ailments. Meanwhile, Hazlewood has returned after a two-year stint between 2021 and 2023 in which he participated in just three Test matches to maintain his spot on the pitch the entire time, with the exception of a respite at Headingley during the previous year’s Ashes.
Rather than being a pressing concern for the India series, the injuries have currently been a source of disappointment for those engaged in the England tour and a juggling act for the selectors to replace the vacancies. However, Australia’s bowling stocks, which are highly regarded, might yet confront a pivotal summer.