Who will replace Mitchell Starc & Cameron Green in Sydney?
Day two of the Boxing Day Test match saw records broken and Australian players dropping like flies with injuries, posing big questions about the depth of Australia’s red ball ranks.
Strike opening bowler Mitchell Starc has suffered a tendon injury to the middle finger of his bowling hand that will rule him out of the Sydney New Years test and star all-rounder Cameron Green has broken the index finger on his right hand that will rule him out until the start of February at the earliest.
Green and Starc were not the only Aussies to battle through injury and health concerns.
David Warner suffered from immense fatigue and cramping before retiring at 200 runs, while Steve Smith revealed in an interview with Triple M radio at the end of the days play that he was suffering from the flu. Warner and Smith are expected to recover fully and take part in the Sydney test.
The question stands, who replaces Green and Starc?
Cameron Green Replacement
Aaron Hardie
The young West Australian all-rounder looks to be the next in line behind team mate Cameron Green. He has already shown this year in the Sheffield Shield he can step up to the plate and perform. Hardie would be a handy pick for Australia, allowing them to select two specialist spin bowlers and give them a third seam bowler.
While his averages are not comparable to that of Green prior to his test debut, Hardie was the player of the match for West Australia against Queensland in November 2022 when he recorded scores of 44 & 70 not out (which were the highest for both innings) along with bowling figures of 2/29 off 14 overs and 1/28 off seven overs. The all-rounder also recorded figures of 2/31 from 11 overs against New South Wales and 2/87 off 26 overs in October against Victoria when wickets were hard to come by.
Hardie would be a ‘like for like’ replacement for Australia that could be the third seam bowler to go with two spinners on a pitch that normally turns late in the test.
Moises Henriques
It has been some time since Moises Henriques has featured in the Australian test side, but some of his numbers this year in the Sheffield Shield suggest he could be a safe, experienced selection for a single test. Henriques would be another useful pick for Australia, should they select two spinners for Sydney, in combination with three pace bowlers.
In October against Queensland Henriques recorded scores of 42 and 99 not out from 280 balls, along with a few overs with the ball, to help bat out a draw for New South Wales. Henriques followed his performance up in December with 97 in the first innings and three wickets with the ball.
Henriques’ test averages aren’t overly impressive, but he has shown in the BBL for the Sydney Sixers he is an SCG specialist and could be a left field selection for Australia.
Ashton Agar
Ashton Agar has been a staple of the Australian test, one day and T20 squads for almost a decade since his test debut at Trent Bridge in the UK. Agar would be a logical selection to give the Australian’s a second spin bowler, lower order batting and the freedom to select the trio of Pat Cummins, Scott Boland and Josh Hazelwood if fit.
Agar has played just four tests for Australia, taking 9 wickets with an economy of 2.81 runs per over. Agar has also bowled 31 maiden overs from 145, providing an option for the Aussies to use agar at one end to limit scoring, while they attack and search for wickets from the other.
Mitchell Starc Replacement
Josh Hazlewood
Josh Hazelwood has been well documented in recent days on various broadcasts bowling in the MCG nets in preparation for the New Years test in Sydney. Hazelwood is an SCG specialist being a NSW Blues bowler at state cricket level.
Hazelwood’s return to the test side would be the likely first option as a bowler who can swing the new bowl and hit a consistent line and length later in the innings. Hazelwood would be part of the trio of Cummins and Boland who are more than capable of taking multiple wickets at regular intervals.
Michael Neser
Michael Neser has been a semi-regular replacement in the Australian side when injuries have been an issue and may be called in if Hazelwood is not 100% fit for Sydney. Neser took part in the Australia v West Indies series as the replacement for Hazelwood where the Aussies dominated over three days in Adelaide.
Neser has played two tests for Australia taking seven wickets at an average of 16.71 with an economy of 2.5 runs per over. Neser has a batting average just below 20 at test level, but also has centuries at the first class level, proving to be a handy lower order batter for the Australians as well.
Lance Morris
Lance Morris, also known as the ‘Wild Thing’, has been the bolter of the Australian squad having had an incredible start to the 2022/23 Sheffield Shield season. Morris provides pure speed and aggression as someone who can bowl 150km/h+, like Anrich Nortje for the South Africans.
Morris has ripped through the top orders of states across the country, taking 20 wickets at an average of 27.1. What’s most impressive about Morris’s record is that, of the top 15 wicket takers in the Sheffield Shield, twelve of those bowlers have bowled more overs than him.
Morris would be a look to the future for Australia at 24 years of age and would be an increased chance of selection if Australia wins in Melbourne and Hazelwood is deemed unfit to take the field.
