Cricket-Australia to miss injured all-rounder Green for first test

Australia all-rounder Cameron Green will be sidelined for ​the first test against South Africa after failing ​to recover from an abdominal ‌strain, coach ​Andrew McDonald said on Tuesday. Green was hurt during the third and last one-day international against South Africa in Potchefstroom last Wednesday after being ‌struck in the stomach by a full toss from home bowler Corbin Bosch as he attempted a hook shot.

But Green remains in contention for the second test in Gqeberha and the last in Cape Town later ‌this month. "He's progressing pretty well, all things considered, on the back of the injury that he ‌had to his abdominals," McDonald told a press conference.

"He's still here for a reason, so there is some light at the end of the tunnel. It'll just be a matter of going through the rehab. “It's a bit of an unknown, but ⁠there's still ​optimism that he'll take ⁠part in the series at some stage," the coach added.

Green’s participation in the test at Kingsmead, which gets under way on ⁠Friday, was always a doubt when he did not take part in a two-day match that Australia played over ​the weekend against a Cricket South Africa Invitational XI to warm up for the first ⁠of their three-match series against South Africa. The 27-year-old had started the Australia tour of southern Africa with a sore shoulder which kept ⁠him ​out of the three ODIs against Zimbabwe in Harare last month, but he did play in the three ODIs versus South Africa.

Green's absence will be a blow as he is considered one ⁠of the form players in the touring party, especially after he scored a first home test century ⁠when Australia suffered a ⁠shock loss to Bangladesh in Darwin in August. Green’s absence means the 23-year-old Cooper Connolly could be in line for a second test appearance after his February ‌debut in Galle ‌against Sri Lanka.

(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; ​Editing by Ken Ferris)