Border-Gavaskar Trophy: Australia suffer massive blow ahead of series opener against India

Ahead of the start of the Border Gavaskar Trophy Australia has suffered a major injury blow as Josh Hazlewood is set to miss the first test against India in Nagpur. Hazlewood is out on account of a niggle in his left leg. The right-arm is doubtful for the second Test in Delhi as well. 

Hazlewood injury would mean Australia will enter the VCA stadium without two of their premier fast bowlers, viz. Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, moreover, all-rounder Cameron Green will be unavailable due to a finger injury. Scott Boland is said to be replacing Hazlewood in the first test. The first Test between India and Australia will start from February 9, 2023. 

Josh Hazlewood reveals what caused the injury

Speaking about his injury Josh Hazlewood said he picked up the injury in the Sydney test which took place between Australia and South Africa in January 2023. "It's [the injury] still lingering from the (Sydney) Test match," Hazlewood said. "We obviously bowled after a lot of rain and the jump-offs were quite soft, where we were taking off from and they ended up replacing them as well.
"It sort of worked to a degree, but just that extra load jumping off a soft ground to bowl and again first Test match (back from injury) your body is not used to that sort of workload as well. I was bowling a fair bit leading into the (India) tour at home and sort of just pushing up against it. It probably wasn't recovering as well as I would have liked between each session.
"So thought we'd give it a few days here straight of the bat and try and get over the hump and have a bowl from Tuesday and hope it goes well." Hazlewood said

Over the years Josh Hazlewood has emerged as one of Australia's foremost match winners, and his absence from the first test may prove to be crucial. However, the substitute Josh Boland has the perfect statistics to replace Hazlewood. Boland has played six Tests so far, taking 28 wickets at an average of 12.21 and strike rate of 33.2 but all of those games have been in Australia.