Hazlewood ruled out of Adelaide Test, uncapped duo called up

Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the second Test in Adelaide with a side strain, with two uncapped bowlers called up as cover.

Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett have both been added to the squad for the second NRMA Insurance Test match against India in Adelaide that will be played under lights.

But it leaves Scott Boland primed to come into the playing XI in Adelaide, having last played a Test match in July 2023 at Headingley during that winter's Ashes tour. If selected it would be Boland’s second Test match in Adelaide after playing against the West Indies in 2022 when he had match figures of 3-45.

Boland is today leading the attack in the Prime Minister's XI match against India, a two-day game played under lights at Canberra's Manuka Oval.

The loss of Hazlewood is significant.

The right-armer was Australia’s best bowler in the first innings in the opening Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test in Perth, taking 4-29 in the first innings as India were bowled out for 150. He was economical with 1-28 from 21 overs in the second innings.

Hazlewood was also one of Australia’s best the last time India played in Adelaide, taking 5-8 in five overs as India were bowled out for 36.

His injury was described as a "low grade left side injury" in a Cricket Australia statement, and his further involvement in the rest of the series will also be in some doubt.

The arrival of both Abbott and Doggett, who moved from Queensland to South Australia with recent debutant Nathan McSweeney ahead of the 2021-22 season, sees them join Tasmania’s Beau Webster as additions to the squad for the second Test. Webster was on Thursday added as cover for Mitch Marsh, who had pulled up sore after bowling 17 overs during the Perth Test.

It’s a second call-up to the Test squad for Doggett who travelled to the UAE for a Test series against Pakistan in October 2018 – the first under coach Justin Langer – but did not play.

A proud descendant of the Worimi people of northern NSW, the 30-year-old would become just the fifth Indigenous player to earn a Baggy Green if he plays, following in the footsteps of Indigenous pioneers Jason Gillespie, Faith Thomas, Ash Gardner and Boland.

Rockhampton-born Doggett comes into the squad on the back of a career-best 6-15 against India A in Mackay, as well as adding a first-innings five-wicket haul against Western Australia at Adelaide Oval in the last round of the Sheffield Shield.

He’s collected 11 wickets at 34.27 in three Shield games this summer, with 142 wickets at 28.63 from 40 first-class career matches.

The 32-year-old Abbott has played 26 ODIs and 20 T20Is since his international debut in October 2014 and has been on the fringes of the Test side in recent years.

He was previously included in Australia’s Test squad for the 2020-21 series against India, while he spent time with the squad as a reserve for last year's Ashes during a stint playing for Surrey.

Abbott comes into the squad off the back of 4-71 from 16 overs against Tasmania at the SCG.

He's claimed 13 wickets at 19.84 in two Shield matches this season and has 261 wickets from 87 first-class matches in his career.

The Australia squad will assemble in Adelaide over the weekend with an extra day added to their preparation for the second Test following their 295-run defeat in the West Test opener last week.

NRMA Insurance Men's Test Series v India

First Test: India won by 295 runs

Second Test: December 6-10: Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (D/N)

Third Test: December 14-18: The Gabba, Brisbane, 11.20am AEDT

Fourth Test: December 26-30: MCG, Melbourne, 10.30am AEDT

Fifth Test: January 3-7: SCG, Sydney, 10.30am AEDT

Australia squad (for second Test): Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Nathan McSweeney, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Jasprit Bumrah (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Devdutt Padikkal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar. Reserves: Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed, Yash Dayal