Massive Setback for Australia Just Before the Brisbane Test

The Ashes is about to bring another setback for Australia ahead of the second Test. Australia has already taken a lead by winning the first Test, as they now prepare for the Brisbane match. Josh Hazlewood, their primary fast bowler, is expected to miss the next Test too.

The Ashes is now expected to get even more intense for the fans. Australia has already taken a lead in the series by winning the first match at Perth within two days. Now, it all goes to the second Test which is all set to be played at Brisbane. Ahead of this game, the for the Australian team.

Josh Hazlewood is expected to miss the second Test of the series, following his hamstring injury. With Hazlewood missing out, the team still has positive news for them for the second Test. Their captain, Pat Cummins, is likely to be back in action for the Brisbane Test, after missing out in the first Test due to his recovery.

1. Hazlewood Misses Out

Josh Hazlewood suffered an injury while he was playing in a Sheffield Shield match. It was during the clash between New South Wales and Victoria, where Hazlewood played with other Australian players. But , he felt tightness in his right hamstring.

He told about the same to Josh Hazlewood, who immediately sent him off the field. Smith, who was their stand-in captain for the first Test, didn't want Hazlewood to miss out the first game. He suffered with a muscle strain, and further scans revealed that he is unfit to play for the team in the first Test.

With Hazlewood missing out on the first Test, he was expected to be back in the second game. But that may not be possible, as per the latest developments which have taken place in the Australian camp. It is being revealed that Hazlewood will be a part of the squad in his rehabilitation period, but

Andrew McDonald, the Head Coach of the Australian team , “He's working through the first week of his rehab. I'm not sure that we need to give an update on that. Once he gets further down the track and have some rough timelines, then we'll be in a position to communicate that.”

He further talked about the availability of Josh Hazlewood in the series. McDonald said,“I know that he'll be available at some point during the series. We've got a little bit of that early rehab to go through to formulate where he may plug into the series, but we expect him to take some part in the series.”

2. Cummins Probable Return

It is also being reported that the Australian skipper, Pat Cummins, would have his return to the team in the second Test. The second Test match will be played from 4 December, and it might also be the time when Cummins marks his return after the injury he suffered against the West Indies. He was ruled out of the first test, as his rehabilitation went

But in the first Test, fans had seen Pat Cummins do some bowling sessions where he used his full potential. It is also said that playing consecutive Test matches would be a challenge for Cummins in this series. Still, if the matches continue to take place like the first Test, it

, “Once we see him again we'll be able to then join the dots as to what that potentially looks like. But for those who saw him in Perth, I did say this a while back that he'll be up and bowling...and people will be sitting there questioning why he's not playing.”

He continued by saying,“It looked like a player that was nearing the completion of his rehabilitation. The intensity was there, the ball speed was there. There's a lot of positives, but now it's just really building that resilience within the soft tissue and making sure that we're not putting him in harm's way in terms of accelerating it too much. But it will be a genuine discussion leading into this Test match. That may be one that eventuates late for us. A little bit to work through but it's nearing completion, which is really, really positive.”

3. Starc Leads By Example

Ahead of the first Test, there were questions surrounding the bowling strength of Australia. The team didn't have Josh Hazlewood or Pat Cummins, and Mitchell Starc was left alone as the experienced player. But he took the job in his hands, and also from Scott Boland and Brendan Doggett.

Mitchell Starc was able to take 10 wickets in the game, which also included his career best 7-wickets spell in the first innings. Scott Boland was able to do well in the second innings, while the debutant Brendan Doggett also took 5 wickets in the game. Despite the absence of star bowlers, Starc was able to lead the bowling line-up well.