Josh Hazlewood, Australia's fast bowler, expressed frustration after a calf strain forced him to withdraw from the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.
Hazlewood, who had missed the Adelaide Test earlier in the series owing to a minor left-side ailment, returned at the Gabba, only to be dismissed six overs into India's first innings.
The 33-year-old's injury struggles continued as scans revealed a right calf strain sustained during the morning warm-up on Day 2 of the Brisbane Test. While medical reports indicated that the injury was minimal, it was enough to sideline Hazlewood for the rest of the series.
This setback adds to Hazlewood's recent injury history, which has resulted in him missing parts of four of the last six Australian summers. Notably, the 2020/21 and 2023/24 seasons were the only ones where he remained fit throughout.
"Just frustrating really. Ticked every box heading into the Test, I could understand if it was my side again, but it was just a random calf strain. Obviously, do a deep dive into it and see what we can come up with ... feels pretty random.
"I've had a history of sides and calves, they're probably the two things that have kept me out for the majority over the last four years. But yeah, I sort of just keep adding another layer to the defense, hopefully. Get back into the gym; I've ticked a lot of boxes over the last 12 months,” Hazlewood told 7NEWS.
The fast bowler's primary frustration stems from the timing of his injuries.
"It's just the timing again. They are only little 2–3-week injuries, but missing big games is the frustrating thing," he lamented.
However, Hazlewood remains optimistic and aims to return to full fitness and be ready for the Sri Lanka tour next year.
"That's probably the goal, just take it as it comes over the next few weeks," he said. "No rush to get anything in a hurry, it's just getting everything right. Probably take a few extra days here and there, ticking things off and getting everything right,” he added.
Scott Boland is set to replace Josh Hazlewood in Australia XI for the upcoming two Tests of the BGT 2024 to be played in Melbourne and Sydney.
