Australian pace bowler Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the Pink-ball Day-Night Test in Adelaide against England owing to a side strain. Meanwhile, Hazlewood struggled to bowl on the fourth day of the 1st Ashes 2021-22 test. Soon he was held back for a large part of the innings, scans revealed there was a minor strain. The 30-year-old pacer returned back to Sydney on Sunday and will undergo rehabilitation.
Hazlewood claimed three wickets in the first Test at the Gabba. Josh also took the big wicket of England skipper Joe Root for naught in the first innings.
"Hazlewood returned to Sydney yesterday afternoon for further assessment and rehabilitation with a decision on his fitness for the Boxing Day Test to be made in due course,"
Cricket Australia stated in a media release
Ashes 2021-22: Jhye Richardson or Michael Nesser could replace Josh Hazlewood
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West Australian pacer Jhye Richardson and Queensland's Michael Nesser are the contenders to replace Hazlewood in Adelaide.
Richardson has played a couple of Tests for Australia in 2019. Meanwhile, he is the second most wicket-taker bowler in the ongoing Sheffield Shield 2021-22 season. He scalps 23 wickets from four games.
Meanwhile, Nesser is yet to make his international Test debut. But, he has bagged a total of 130 wickets in both Sheffield Shield and County competitions since the 2018-19 season.
Australia won the Ashes opener in Brisbane by nine wickets and wrapped the game inside four days.
On Day 2, riding on a breathtaking century by Travis Head (152) with some great batting by David Warner (94) and Marnus Labushagne (74), Australia achieved a huge lead of 278. In the second innings, England was bowled out for 297. However, they just got a small lead of 19 runs, the hosts took just 5.1 overs to chase the score.