Australia's injury issues continue to mount ahead of the first Test against India after seasoned fast bowler Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of next week's opener in Nagpur, which begins on Thursday.
Hazlewood, 32, has been struggling with an Achilles problem sustained during Australia's Test against South Africa in Sydney last month and said on Sunday he will miss at least the first Test of the four-match series.
Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc has already been ruled out of the opener while all-rounder Cameron Smith is doubtful, with both picking up finger injuries.
Hazlewood, who did not bowl during Australia's training camp on the outskirts of Bengaluru, is now racing to be fit for the second Test in Delhi, which starts on February 17.
"It's still lingering from the (Sydney) Test match," said Hazlewood, who has featured in only four Tests in the last two years due to a string of injuries. "Not sure about the first test. It's still a few days away but it's sneaking up pretty quickly.
"Second one is obviously straight after as well. So, we'll play it by ear over the next week and next few days... It's been frustrating playing one Test at a time. It always feels the hardest Test to play.
"They sort of get easier as they go and you get to the other side, the end of the series, it gets hard again. Hopefully I can string a couple together on this tour."
Australia coach Andrew McDonald remains hopeful Green can feature in the first match against India, saying he still had progress to make before he could be considered for the series opener.
Green damaged his right index finger during the Boxing Day Test win over South Africa in Melbourne and was only given clearance to return to training by his doctor on Monday following surgery.
The 23-year-old bowled with soft balls for 30 minutes in the nets at the Australian camp before doing an hour's batting practice.
"He's made some significant steps forward in the last couple of days, probably to my surprise. There's still an outside chance that, everything going well, he might be on the team sheet," McDonald told reporters.
With Green unlikely to be able to bowl in the first Test, captain Pat Cummins acknowledged the make-up of Australia's bowling line-up remained unclear.
"I wouldn't say (picking two spinners) is a given," he said. "It's very conditions dependent, particularly this first Test, so once we get to Nagpur, we'll see.
"I think sometimes, talking about a couple of spinners, you forget how good a lot of our fast bowlers have been in all conditions.
"We'll obviously pick the bowlers that we think can take 20 wickets – how are we going to split that up I'm not 100 per cent sure yet."
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
