IND vs AUS: Australia suffer huge setback as Josh Hazlewood likely to miss remainder of Border-Gavaskar Trophy

On a day when Australia failed to restrict the Indians below the follow-on target, the hosts suffered another blow as pacer Josh Hazlewood is likely to be ruled out for the remainder of Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) due to a right calf strain that he sustained on Tuesday. The niggle also ruled Hazlewood out of the ongoing Brisbane Test, thus weakening Australia’s bowling attack.

“Josh Hazlewood has sustained a right side calf strain which will prevent him from playing any further part in the Test match against India in Brisbane,” Cricket Australia said in an official statement. “He is likely to miss the remainder of the Test series.”

The New South Wales pacer, who took a five-wicket haul in the first Test in Perth, bowled just one over before walking out of the field following a discussion with captain Pat Cummins, senior cricketer Steve Smith and team physio Nick Jones. Hazlewood later underwent scans to ascertain the severity of the injury.

Earlier in the game, the 33-year-old had dismissed Virat Kohli on Monday with a fine delivery outside the off-stump. Notably, Hazlewood returned to the playing XI in Brisbane after missing the Pink Ball Test at Adelaide due to a side strain.

Fellow pacer Scott Boland, who replaced Hazlewood in Adelaide, is most likely to get his place back for the remainder of the series. Meanwhile, as things stand, India have avoided the follow-on and potentially saved the Test match also.

India avoid follow-on at Gabba

Needing 246 runs to avoid the follow-on, Ravindra Jadeja (77) and KL Rahul (84) led India’s fightback after the visitors were once reduced to 51/4 at the end of Day 3. But once they were dismissed, it was on the last pair of Jasprit Bumrah (10 not out) and Akash Deep (27 not out) whose unbeaten stand of 39 runs off 54 balls, helped India save the blushes. India, however, still trail by 193 runs.

For Australia, Cummins was the most successful bowler, taking 4/80, while Mitchell Starc claimed 3/83. Nathan Lyon (1/54) also picked up a wicket. Jadeja kept India’s hopes alive with a sturdy innings, sharing a 53-run stand with Nitish Kumar Reddy (16). The five-match series is currently tied at 1-1.