Australia face the grim prospect of trying to win a Test with only three specialist bowlers for the second time in three matches after Ben Hilfenhaus shuffled off Bellerive Oval with a left side strain that has placed him in doubt for the rest of the Sri Lanka series.
After bowling the second ball of his 13th over to Sri Lanka’s vice-captain Angelo Mathews, Hilfenhaus grimaced, felt for his hip or side, spoke briefly to his captain Michael Clarke and left the field, leaving Shane Watson to complete the over.
He later left the ground for further medical examination, and the team physio Alex Kountouris said Hilfenhaus was now doubtful for the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. The New Year’s Test in Sydney follows only three days after the end of the MCG match, a tight timeframe for fit bowlers, let alone those recovering from injury.
“With Ben, we’ll probably know more in 24 hours. But it’s probably doubtful, the fact that he’s not bowling right now, you’d think there’s going to be considerable doubt [for Melbourne],” Kountouris said. “It’s on the milder side but not mild enough to be able to bowl in the second innings.
“These sorts of things, if you miss a week then you miss two weeks because they’re not like batsmen who in a week’s time they can get back and play. Bowlers need to come back, bowl a few times, prove that they’re fit, make sure they’ve got through some sessions because we obviously can’t put them in a Test match with any doubt.”
Hilfenhaus had been considered alongside Peter Siddle one of the two durable, senior bowlers to be relied upon across the summer. They were outlined as critical to Australia’s planning as the youthful group including Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood could be rotated around them.
Of that quartet, only Starc has reached this point of the summer without being sidelined, while John Hastings, called up when both Siddle and Hilfenhaus missed the Perth Test against South Africa, is recovering from a back injury.
