Border-Gavaskar Series: Australia suffer setback as Josh Hazlewood ruled out of 1st Test

Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the first Test against India in Nagpur and is also doubtful for the second Test in Delhi.

The four-match Border-Gavaskar series between India and Australia is set to begin on Feb. 9, with the opening Test to be played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium.

Hazlewood sustained a left Achilles niggle caused in part by clammy run-ups at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) for last month's Test against South Africa.

In Hazlewood's absence, Australia's Scot Bolland is expected to play the Nagpur Test, which will mark his maiden overseas Test. The tourists are already without their ace fast bowler Mitchell Starc (finger injury) and allrounder Cameron Green, who is recovering well from his finger injury but is unable to bowl yet.

While Australia have uncapped fast bowler Lance Morris too in their squad, Boland, whose six Tests have all come Down Under, is expected to be Pat Cummins' bowling partner in Nagpur. Nevertheless, the Aussies have not ruled out playing three quicks in the opening match.

Boland and Cummins took the new ball during match-simulation drills at Alur on Sunday, the final day of Australia's training camp before they fly to Nagpur.

"Scotty has bowled plenty at the MCG when it was a flat wicket, it probably wasn't swinging or reverse swinging so he knows how to work hard for a long period of time," Hazlewood said of the Victorian with a Test bowling average of 12.21.

"You've got Lance Morris who has worked hard on the reverse swing for the last month and then a nice lead-in here with a few sessions. The guys are excited first of all to play in the subcontinent, they both haven't yet, but they're very well qualified to do so," added Hazelwood.

Hazlewood, who has been a prominent absentee from the bowling crease during Australia's sessions in Alur, said he will resume bowling only two days before the Nagpur Test. The New South Wales pacer has struggled with side strains over the last two home Test summers. Speaking of the same, he said the damp patches of the SCG outfield, where bowlers jumped from in the Test against the Proteas, had worsened his latest injury.

"It's still lingering from the (Sydney) Test match. We obviously bowled after a lot of rain and the jump-offs were quite soft where we were taking off from, and they ended up replacing them as well. It sort of worked to a degree, but just that extra load jumping off a soft ground to bowl and again first Test match (back from injury) your body is not used to that sort of workload as well," Hazlewood said of the injury.

"I was bowling a fair bit leading into the (India) tour at home and sort of just pushing up against it. It probably wasn't recovering as well as I would have liked between each session. So thought we'd give it a few days here straight of the bat and try and get over the hump and have a bowl from Tuesday and hope it goes well," the fast bowler added further.

Hazlewood, who made his Australia Test debut in 2014, has so far picked up 222 wickets in 59 matches. Having played four Tests in India, Hazlewood has picked up nine scalps, including a five-wicket haul.

Cummins and Co are scheduled to fly to Nagpur on Monday, with the first Test going underway on Thursday.