IND vs AUS: Josh Hazlewood suffers calf soreness, likely out for remainder of the series

Josh Hazlewood's participation in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy looks uncertain after he pulled up for calf soreness on Tuesday, the fourth day of the third Test at Gabba in Brisbane. He bowled only one over before leaving the field.

Hazlewood's entry onto the field was delayed at the start of play. His bowling appeared laboured, with speeds barely reaching 131kph. His first ball was a wide long hop, readily dispatched by KL Rahul.



During the subsequent drinks break, Hazlewood engaged in a discussion with skipper Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, and physio Nick Jones. Shortly after, he exited the field.

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After scans, it was confirmed that the seamer had strained his right calf and was likely to miss the remaining two Tests of the five-match series.

"A squad replacement will be made in due course," said a Cricket Australia spokesperson.

It brings Scott Boland into contention as the replacement. Boland had taken five wickets in the Adelaide Test when Hazlewood had missed because of a side injury.

Melbourne Cricket Ground, venue for the next Test, holds special significance for Boland, where he achieved a memorable 6 for 7 on debut against England in 2021-22.

Cummins had previously hinted at Boland's potential involvement in the series.

“[We told him] it's about preparing for the MCG because there's a good chance we might need you,” he said.

“History suggests there's always some form of natural attrition throughout a Test series. A good thing [is], he's probably played a Test earlier in the series than he maybe thought. Showed that his standard's still super high. [It's] about trying to set him up for the last two Test matches.”



Earlier, CA had commented on Hazlewood's injury: “Josh Hazlewood reported calf awareness in this morning's warm-up."

Australia, aiming for victory amidst intermittent rain delays, relied on Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon from then on.

Hazlewood's return to the side for this Test followed his recovery from a side strain that sidelined him in Adelaide for the second Test.


Earlier in the year, Hazlewood experienced a mild calf strain. This injury prevented him from participating in T20Is against Scotland and England.


Between the Adelaide and Brisbane Tests, Hazlewood expressed his frustration with the side strain. He revealed that the medical staff were exploring long-term solutions.



“It's not necessarily your typical side strain, which I've had a couple in my career,” he said.


“You're running into bowl and you just grab your hat and you're off and you're out for six weeks. It's not that sort of side strain. It's from sort of repetitive use. It's caused me a lot of trouble over the last few years, but [had] perfect prep this year, and played the Shield game and ticked all that off.”


“I was very happy where I was and it still happened. So I was pretty annoyed there for a few days. There was plenty of meetings from CA's point of view [with] physios, doctors, all that stuff. So come up with a few options and see if we can stop it from happening again.”