Australia’s cricket team yesterday suffered a major blow when injured pace spearheads Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson were both ruled out of the second one-day international with India.
Cricket Australia official Andrew Hilditch said Lee and Johnson would both miss today’s match in Nagpur after suffering elbow and ankle injuries respectively in Sunday’s narrow four-run win.
“Our medical staff have now decided that while both Brett Lee [right elbow] and Mitchell Johnson’s [left ankle] injuries have responded well to treatment, they will be severe enough to rule them out of contention for tomorrow’s match in Nagpur,” Hilditch said.
Australia also called up New South Wales’ Moises Henriques as a standby for injured all-rounder James Hopes, who will miss at least the next two matches of the seven-game series.
“With James Hopes’ right hamstring injury being more serious and likely to keep him out for at least the next two matches it is thought adding a standby player to the squad is a necessity,” Hilditch said. “Given the most significant injury appears to be Hopes’ hamstring, we have taken this opportunity to add Moises Henriques to the squad until the completion of game four in Mohali, where we will again assess the situation before it is decided if he remains with the squad.”
Lee and ICC cricketer of the year Johnson were both in the wickets as Australia survived a late Indian batting charge to take a 1-0 series lead in Vadodara.
Lee, 32, has been Australia’s form bowler, regaining his pace and rhythm during the recent Champions Trophy in South Africa after being sidelined for the Ashes series in England.
The fast bowler also played a key role with both bat and ball in New South Wales’ title victory in a Twenty20 competition in India last week.
Australia are already depleted by injuries to key middle-order batsman Michael Clarke, first-choice wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, paceman Nathan Bracken and batsman Callum Ferguson.
“While the injury situation is disappointing, it does provide an opportunity for Moises to join the Australian squad and become familiar in this environment,” Hilditch said. “His form for Australia A in Pakistan and for New South Wales has been very good and we view him as an exciting young allrounder who will be looking to make the most of this opportunity in India.”
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