Test hopeful Cameron Green has been floored by a nasty blow to the head, copping a hard straight drive from India’s Jasprit Bumrah during a tour match.
Key points:
- Cameron Green was subbed out of Australia A’s second tour match under the sport’s concussion rules
- He is the second Australian Test hopeful to cop a nasty head knock this week, after Will Pucovski was floored on Tuesday
- The first Test starts on Thursday, with the make-up of the team still unknown
Green was subbed out of the match with a concussion, with Victorian batsman Patrick Rowe named to replace him for the rest of the game.
It comes in the same week that 22-year-old opener Will Pucovski was left shaken by a blow to the head while batting, raising concerns about another concussion for the prodigious talent.
Green was starting the 45th over of the opening innings of the second warm-up clash between Australia A and an Indian touring side, when tail-ender Bumrah played a powerful drive back towards the bowler.
The ball hit the right side of Green’s face, sending him to the turf.
It was one of a number of powerful strokes from the typically staid Bumrah, who hit six fours and two sixes during his unbeaten 55 off 57 — his maiden first-class half-century easily eclipsing his previous highest score 16.
Non-striker Mohammed Siraj and umpire Gerard Abood rushed to check on the star all-rounder, who patted Bumrah on the leg to assure him he was OK.
Green, coming off a century and two wickets in the first tour match earlier this week, was on the ground for about 30 seconds before getting up.
The 21-year-old looked alert as he spoke with trainers on the pitch and was smiling and chatting to them as he left the field, but was later subbed out of the match under cricket’s concussion guidelines.
Green had taken the wicket of Indian number three Shubman Gill earlier in the day and had started his seventh over when he was hit.
He was a good chance to make his Test debut against India in the series opener at the Adelaide Oval on December 17, while Cricket Australia has not released a statement on the condition of Pucovski, who was also pushing to play his first game for Australia.
There was an opening at the top of the order created by a groin injury to Test veteran David Warner, with Joe Burns and Marcus Harris also in the running for more Test honours.
