Josh Hazlewood ruled out of rest of Ashes after hamstring and Achilles injuries
Josh Hazlewood’s Ashes campaign has come to an early end, with Australia confirming the pace bowler will miss the remainder of the series due to hamstring and Achilles tendon problems. The right-arm quick has endured recurring injury issues in recent seasons, forced to watch from the sidelines as Australia surged to a 2-0 lead at the Gabba last week.
Hazlewood initially hurt his hamstring while playing for New South Wales in November and was expected to contribute during the summer. However, a fresh Achilles setback last week clouded his availability and prevented him from joining the squad for the day-night Test in Brisbane as planned.
On Tuesday, Australia coach Andrew McDonald announced that Hazlewood would sit out the remaining Tests in Adelaide, with the series resuming next Wednesday.
His absence shifts focus to the 2026 T20 World Cup cycle, McDonald noted, stating that Hazlewood’s preparation will now pivot toward that important campaign, even as he misses this Ashes chapter.
Injuries have limited Hazlewood to only two of the five Tests in last summer’s successful series against India, and he also missed the following Sri Lanka tour. By the end of the season, he will have played just 10 of Australia’s last 20 Tests.
Hazlewood’s misfortune mirrors earlier interruptions when he missed four of five Ashes Tests during England’s 2021-22 visit and was unavailable for the entire 2023 tour of India.
“[It’s] really flat for him,” McDonald said about the latest setback. “A couple of setbacks we didn’t see coming. We thought he’d play a huge part in the series. We really feel for him that he won’t get that opportunity.”
With Hazlewood out, Either Scott Boland or Michael Neser is expected to retain a spot in the XI for the third Test and beyond. Boland has long been the leading understudy in Australia’s pace department, while Neser capped a five-wicket haul at the Gabba that helped seal a win.
McDonald indicated captain Pat Cummins’ return from a back issue would be the only likely change for Adelaide. A 15-player squad confirmation was anticipated for Wednesday, with Usman Khawaja slated to return from a back injury.
Despite Mitchell Starc’s demanding workload, Australia is anticipated to field a full-strength pace attack, aiming to seal a series victory. Players enjoyed a nine-day break between the Gabba Test and the Adelaide toss.
“We wouldn’t be thinking about someone needing a rest there; it’s more about tests four and five,” McDonald said.
Nathan Lyon is expected to play a major role in the attack after bowling just two overs in the opening Test and being omitted for the second. The veteran off-spinner has historically taken more Test wickets at Adelaide Oval than anywhere else.
McDonald stressed that spin remains valuable, despite Travis Head bowling Australia’s solitary over of spin in Brisbane. “That’s the first game Nathan has missed in Australia for a long time. Has his impact matched previous seasons with the surfaces we’re playing on? Possibly not,” he said. Yet he added, “Nathan’s going to have a massive impact in the last three Tests if you recall what he did at the MCG last year when the surface eased.”
Lyon’s omission drew a reaction from the player, who told the Seven Network he was “absolutely filthy” about being dropped for the Gabba Test in favor of Neser. McDonald rejected the notion of a “patch-up,” saying the team simply prioritizes different attributes for the pink-ball fixture. He acknowledged Lyon’s disappointment and shared that his frustration is understandable.
Would this adaptive approach pay off for Australia in Adelaide, or might it prompt a fresh debate about squad selection and the value of veteran spinners in challenging conditions?
