Australia provide update on injured duo ahead of second Test
Cameron Green is no certainty to return for the second Test against the Proteas as coach Andrew McDonald suggests his batters must be flexible.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald has revealed star all-rounder Cameron Green is no certainty to return from injury and feature in the second ICC World Test Championship fixture against South Africa that commences in Gqeberha on Sunday.
Green has been battling an abdominal injury and was sidelined for the first Test in Durban as the Aussies opened up a 1-0 lead in the three-game series with a memorable 214-run triumph.
It had been hoped that Green would be fit for the crucial second Test at St George's Park as the tourists look to lock in their best batting line-up, but McDonald said the tall 27-year-old still had to tick a few boxes before his name would be put forward for selection.
"(Green's) progressing well," McDonald said.
"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."
The news is slightly more promising for back-up keeper Josh Inglis, who was also absent for the first Test due to the finger injury he picked up during the ODI series against the Proteas last month.
"Josh had a couple of hits during this Test match out the back of the nets during lunchtime and that's gone well," McDonald said.
"It'll be more about the comfort with the splint and how that progresses. He'll have bat versus ball sessions in PE (Gqeberha) and we'll get more information there."
Another player that may come into contention for selection in that second Test is Cooper Connolly, with the all-rounder overlooked for the Durban contest after he battled a head cold in the lead-up to the match.
Connolly's ability to bowl quality spin could prove decisive in any decision the Aussies make for the second Test, especially given the fact Green will be unable to bowl in South Africa even if he is fit to play purely as a batter.
Where that leaves the likes of Nic Maddinson and Beau Webster remains to be seen and just how the Aussies shape their batting order in Gqerberha also remains a point of conjecture, with McDonald reaffirming skipper Pat Cummins' desire for the side to be flexible.
"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," he said.
"I think we're more open-minded than that. So we'll assess what we need to do going to the next Test (playing on a) different surface, potentially, not sure what it sort of holds there, but in terms of where Renners (Matthew Renshaw) will bat, we'll work through that leading into the next Test."
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Sam Harper, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nic Maddinson, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster
Series Schedule:
First Test: October 9-13, Durban (Australia won by 214 runs)
Second Test: October 18-22, Gqeberha
Third Test: October 27-31, Cape Town