Cameron Green likely to start India series as a specialist batter

Australia have been dealt good and bad news at the same time. While Cameron Green is expected to be fit in time for the five-Test series against India, he is only expected to feature as a specialist batter for at least the first three Tests.

Green sustained an untimely back injury mid-way through the white-ball tour of England and there were fears that the all-rounder was going to be in a race against time to be fit for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

However, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, those fears have been quashed. The 25-year-old will still be an integral part of the Australian side, but as a specialist batter.

Mitchell Marsh is expected to take up bowling duties in Green’s absence. According to the newspaper, Marsh ‘has been working up his fitness on a program geared for that purpose’.

It is worth noting that Marsh, himself an injury-prone athlete, has bowled just four overs for Australia since the first week of March, with all of them coming at Lord’s against England on September 27.

Losing Green the bowler is a body blow for Australia. The right-armer averages 36.23 with the ball in Tests but this number drops down to 25.63 at home.

The good news for the Kangaroos is that there is a slim chance Green might regain bowling fitness by the time the fourth or fifth Test comes about. That, as things stand, is still a long shot.

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