Having recovered from back surgery, Australian all-rounder Cameron Green is now raring to go in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) final against South Africa.
Green provides a great deal of balance to the side, and his inclusion will certainly bolster the reigning champions.
Ahead of the WTC final at Lord's, Green opened up about a text he received from India’s ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, just the night before he was supposed to undergo the back surgery.
Bumrah reached out to Green midway through India's three-match Test series against New Zealand at home. It is pertinent to mention here that the Indian speedster underwent the same surgery 18 months ago.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Green revealed how a message from Bumrah acted as a source of encouragement.
Green was part of the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise in the IPL 2023 season. However, he didn’t get a chance to share the dressing room with Bumrah as the fast bowler was injured and missed the entire season.
“That is really special. And makes you feel a lot better about it. I didn't play with him in Mumbai, but that was the connection through there. Spent a bit of time with him there,” Green said.
"To get someone like him to reach out and then to watch him during the summer, to see how good he is obviously post-surgery, filled me with a lot of confidence," he added.
Cameron Green, 26, has been out of action for more than six months. He had also missed the 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India.
While Australia won the BGT 3-1 and qualified for the WTC final, Bumrah emerged as the stand-out bowler in the five-match series, returning with 31 scalps.
"The times when you see the guys celebrating in the dressing room or just having a really good day, knowing the type of feeling you'll have is what makes you want to be there. But at the same time, there were moments when I definitely went 'Jasprit looks pretty good'," said Green.
Australia had won the second edition of the WTC by beating India in the final at The Oval. Pat Cummins and his men now look to defend their crown when they take the field against South Africa at Lord's from June 11.
