"Even one ball has not been bowled and so many injuries have happened" - Aakash Chopra on Australia's injury woes
Aakash Chopra has highlighted that Australia have been hit hard by injury issues even before the start of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
India will face the Aussies in a four-match Test series, with the first game starting in Nagpur on February 9. The visitors have arrived in India with a massive 18-member squad. However, some of their players are either unavailable or will not be able to bring all their skills to the table at the start of the series.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra pointed out that Australia are a depleted unit even before a ball has been bowled, elaborating:
"Josh Hazlewood is injured, he is not available for the first match. Mitchell Starc is also injured, he will also not be available for the first match. Cameron Green will play but he cannot bowl.
"Even one ball has not been bowled and so many injuries have happened."
Chopra reckons Josh Hazlewood's absence will be a big loss for the visitors, reasoning:
"I rate Josh Hazlewood very highly. He is an amazing bowler. He bowls from very close to the stumps, keeps the ball within the three stumps, gets a little extra bounce and knows how to pick up wickets. But he will not be available for the first match. He has an Achilles injury."
Hazlewood has picked up 222 wickets at an impressive average of 25.83 in 59 Tests. The right-arm seamer has snared 51 wickets in 15 Tests against India, including nine in four Tests on Indian soil.
"Pat Cummins the fast bowler will have to take a little more workload" - Aakash Chopra
While seeing a bigger workload for Pat Cummins, Aakash Chopra expects Scott Boland to be the other seamer in Australia's playing XI for the first Test, saying:
"Mitchell Starc was already not available. So two fast bowlers are not available. Pat Cummins the fast bowler, who is the captain, will have to take a little more workload.
"Along with him, you might see Scott Boland play his first match away from home. I think he has played six Tests so far and all of them have been at home."
Injury worry for Australia ahead of the first Test in Nagpur 🚑🇦🇺
Scott Boland in line for overseas debut.
#INDvAUS #CricketTwitter https://t.co/XhL31XN9P1
Chopra concluded by highlighting that Cummins and Co. will also miss Cameron Green's services as a seamer, observing:
"Cameron Green is an amazing player. He has been given a multimillion-dollar contract in the IPL as well. You will see him playing for the Mumbai Indians. He also cannot bowl. He got injured in his hand, I think he is not available to bowl for the first one or two Test matches. You will not see him bowl in the first match if he actually plays in the XI."
Boland has picked up 28 wickets at an unbelievable average of 12.21 in six games but has never played a Test outside Australia. Green, who has also never played a long-format game in India, has provided the Aussies with crucial breakthroughs in the 18 Tests he has played and even has a five-wicket haul to his name.