With less than ten days to go for the Ashes, Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott got injured during the ongoing round of the Sheffield Shield.
Double blow for Australia: Hazlewood and Abbott injured
Despite a 254-run lead against New South Wales at Sydney, Victoria batted for a second time and finished the second day on 56-2. Abbott had taken one of these wickets, of Campbell Kellaway.
On the second day, Abbott bowled night-watch Todd Murphy, Peter Handscomb, and Oliver Peake, while Hazlewood dismissed wicketkeeper Sam Harper, leaving the visitors reeling at 83-6. However, both men left the field during the first session, and the extents of their injuries were subsequently assessed as reported by ESPNcricinfo, the details of which are not clear yet.
Both bowlers had bowled nine overs until that point. Hazlewood had figures of 1-22 and Abbott 4-18. It can be argued that the NSW bowlers had very little rest, as their batters had not lasted even 50 overs between the two Victoria innings.
This is also not Abbott’s first injury of the Australian summer. Less than a month ago, he became the first to be substituted in the Sheffield Shield under the new trial rules.
Match 10, New South Wales vs Victoria
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- Ball by ball Over
How can this impact Australia at the Ashes?
Australia will already be without captain and fast bowler Pat Cummins in the first Test match, to begin at Perth from November 21. The default Australian bowling attack would have been Hazlewood, his NSW teammates Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon, and Victoria spearhead Scott Boland. Abbott and Brendan Doggett, both uncapped, are the backup fast bowlers in the Australian squad for the first Test.
There is no update on the injury status of either. If both are ruled out, Boland may share the new ball with Starc at Perth, while Doggett may make his debut. The South Australian Doggett is in good form: he had 5-66 and 1-39 in the match against Tasmania that got over earlier today, and 6-48 and 1-38 in his previous game, against Western Australia.
As for the match, Marcus Harris made 58 as Victoria declared their second innings on 171-9. Chasing 426, NSW were 43-3 at the time of writing.
