Cape Town, Oct 25 (IANS) Australia all-rounder Cameron Green has admitted he was surprised by how quickly he has bounced back from an abdominal muscle tear, adding the he is now available for selection for the third and final Test against South Africa, with the series currently locked at 1-1.
Green picked up the injury during the ODI series between the two sides and has been sidelined since then. But Green, 27, trained in the nets ahead of the series decider at the Newlands Cricket Ground and is now in contention for selection for the match starting on Tuesday.
“Pretty surprised with how quickly it’s actually healed, or how functional I feel only a few weeks after. It was really bizarre. I think there’s definitely a pretty clear link between getting hit and then doing the injury. I think it’s too much of a coincidence for them not to be related.
“Basically I got hit where you don’t want to get hit and then two balls later, I went to play a shot just behind the wicket – obviously had to lengthen my muscle, and I think my muscle was pretty keen to not move at that stage after I got hit.
“It’s quite a unique injury. There are not many people that have done the injury and then tried to play a few weeks later. The (medical staff) didn’t have much to go off … (but) it’s all good to go for the last game,” Green was quoted as saying by the ICC on Sunday.
Australia won the opening Test by 214 runs in Durban before South Africa bounced back in the second game in Gqeberha to win by an innings and 31 runs. Green was part of the Australian side that lost to South Africa in last year’s World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s, where he batted at number three, and said the experience had taught him plenty about the challenge posed by the Proteas fast bowling attack.
“(Batting at three in the WTC final) was a tough experience for sure. Pretty unique that you’re playing South Africa with the Dukes ball in England. I think there’s a lot of good learnings, a lot of tough learnings.
“Obviously they’re such a quality bowling line-up that you’ve got to be on your game at all times to succeed against them, regardless of where you bat. But certainly up the top of the order is incredibly difficult – their opening bowlers are so great with the new ball, you’ve got to work really hard, especially at the start,” he added.
Since his Test debut in 2020, Green has batted everywhere between number three and number eight. Asked on where he felt most at home, Green picked the middle order, where he enjoyed a productive home series against Bangladesh, finishing as the leading run-getter in the two-Test series with a century and a fifty while batting at number five.
“I’ve had a lot of experience up and down the order. I think I’m well suited at four and five. Obviously we’ve had some pretty incredible cricketers in those positions. So I’m very happy to move up and down the order depending on what the team wants,” he added.
–IANS
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