Australia add two players to Test squad

Australia opener Shaun Marsh has been ruled out of the second Test in Hobart with a broken finger and looks likely to be out for the series, with Joe Burns and Callum Ferguson added to an extended 13-man squad.

Marsh, who made 63 and 15 in today's defeat to the Proteas at Perth's WACA Ground, has re-broken the finger that kept him sidelined for Australia's recent ODI tour to South Africa and will undergo surgery.

"Shaun re-injured his left little finger on day one while fielding," said Bupa Support team Physiotherapist David Beakley. "Subsequent x-rays have shown a similar break to the previous one and he will now require surgery to stabilise the bone fragment.

"At this stage, all going according to plan, we expect Shaun to be available for selection during the Commonwealth Bank Pakistan Test series."

Australia captain Steve Smith said the left-hander was a disappointed figure post match. 

"He slipped over in (the) first innings, (he was) in a fair bit of pain when he batted and out in the field as well," Smith told reporters.

"At the moment he’s pretty shattered."

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Adam Voges is also under an injury cloud after grabbing his hamstring in the field during South Africa's second innings.

The veteran left the field to get the area strapped and returned 15 minutes later, playing the remainder of the match.

South Africa have also made one change, replacing injured spearhead Dale Steyn with allrounder Dwaine Pretorius added to their squad for the next match, beginning this Saturday, November 12.

Marsh had made centuries in his previous two Tests and looked in strong form in the Matador One-Day Cup, until injury again struck, with a strained hamstring meaning he was racing to be fit for the first Test.

He recovered sufficiently and made a century for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield in the build-up to win selection, and impressed with a half-century in asuperb 158-run opening stand with David Warner in Australia’s first innings. 

Since making a hundred on debut against Sri Lanka in 2011, the 33-year-old has played 19 Tests, with injury and form seeing him struggle to maintain a constant presence in the side.

Burns played all eight of Australia's Tests last summer, scoring three centuries, as well as the first two of the recent series in Sri Lanka but was replaced by Marsh for the final Test of that series after under-performing in those matches.

The Queenslander posted 129 and 30 in the opening Sheffield Shield match of this summer against a Test-quality NSW Blues attack, but managed just 4 and 7 against Victoria at the MCG this week.

Ferguson, uncapped at Test level but with 30 one-day internationals to his name, also posted a century in the opening Shield round but could only add a duck against Tasmania this week.

The South Australian had been in fine Shield form in recent seasons despite being sidelined for much of last summer following a second knee reconstruction.

In the 2015-16 summer he was restricted to just five matches but averaged 53.11, and averaged 52.25 in 2014-15 and 56.50 in the 2013-14 Shield summer. 

Across those three seasons, he's scored 1,879 runs with six hundreds in 22 matches at 53.69.

During the Matador One-Day Cup last month - in which he scored 305 runs at 61 - former Redbacks coach Darren Berry talked up his ex-charges ability against the turning ball. 

"He (Ferguson) is another one who I think we need to keep a close eye on this summer with the Indian tour next year for the Australian team," Berry said on Wide World of Sports.

"If they want players that can play spin I can assure you this bloke can.

"He's a very good player of spin bowling and if we're looking at selection … horses for courses, if Ferguson can put together a good Shield season he'd be the ideal player for India."

Australia squad for Second Test: David Warner, Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Adam Voges, Mitchell Marsh, Callum Ferguson, Peter Nevill, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Peter Siddle, Joe Mennie, Nathan Lyon

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