Cameron Green may undergo back surgery; to miss entire India-Australia series: Reports

In a big twist in the Cameron Green injury saga, Australian media are now reporting that the all-rounder is likely to undergo a 'radical' back surgery in New Zealand which might force him to be sidelined the entire summer. This would include the highly-anticipated Border Gavaskar Trophy Test series against India.

On Tuesday, October 8, The Age reported that Green would be announced in Australia's squad for the Trophy and would play as a batter, refraining from bowling as much as possible. The timeline of his return to action was set for the Australia 'A' clash against India 'A' in November ahead of the high-voltage Test series.

Now, Cricket Et Al’s Peter Lalor has said Green has “no chance” of featuring in the series opener in Perth due to the “serious” back injury.

Lalor said that if Green opts for surgery in New Zealand, he'd be out of the entire summer. He added that there's a chance that the all-rounder chooses just rehabilitation for now, instead, but that would carry a long-term risk of the injury recurring.

Green had four stress fractures in his lower back even before his Test debut in 2020. Initially, he made his name as a batter but his ability to bowl 140kph-plus as an all-rounder helped Australia manage the workload of their senior pacers.

Cameron Green's injury might shift Steven Smith back to number four

Cameron Green's 1377 runs in 28 Tests had been so impressive that Australia decided him to give the famed number four spot in the batting line-up. Former captain and the best player Steve Smith sacrificed his favorite number and moved up to the top of the order.

The move hasn't quite worked yet as though Green has done decently well, Smith's numbers have fallen. Conversations by current and ex-cricketers in the country were already suggesting that Smith might move to his usual spot this summer but Green's injury can now fasten and cement that process.

If he were to take his number four spot back, the selectors would look at the domestic circuit for an opener. Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris, and Matt Renshaw could all be among the options.