India vs Australia: Massive blow for hosts as David Warner is ruled out of 1st Test

Australia suffered a huge blow after it was confirmed on Wednesday that David Warner will miss the first Test against India in Adelaide because of an adductor muscle injury. Warner will aim to return to action for the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

Warner suffered a groin strain while fielding in the second One-Day International (ODI) at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and as a result, the explosive opener was ruled out of the final game and the subsequent three-match T20I series, which India won 2-1.

"I feel I have made great progress in a short amount of time and it's best for me to stay here in Sydney to continue working on getting back to full fitness. The injury feels a lot better, but I need to be able to satisfy in my own mind and to my team-mates that it is 100 per cent ready for Test match conditions. That includes running between the wickets and being agile in the field. Right now, I feel I am short of being able to play at peak fitness and another 10 days will make a difference," Warner was quoted by cricket.com.au, as saying.

Even though the news was expected considering the extent of Warner's injury, it was still a blow to Tim Paine's side that lost the Border-Gavaskar series in the 2018-19 season. That tour saw Virat Kohli become the first captain among the countries in Asia to win a Test series Down Under.

The same cricket.com.au report stated that Australia's head coach Justin Langer is confident to have Warner back in time for the Melbourne Test, taking into account the opening batter's supreme fitness levels

"If there is one guy you know will go well above and beyond that's Dave. He has done an incredible job to get to where he is today and we hope to have a fully fit David Warner at his absolute best in Melbourne," Langer said.

Warner's news came less than 24 hours after Will Pucovski, who was tipped to open with the senior batsman in the Test series, was hit on the helmet on day three of Australia A's tour game against an Indian XI. That left Pucovski with some mild concussion symptoms. The knock has ruled the 22-year-old out from the upcoming three-day practice match and thereby put his chances of finally making his Test debut in doubt.

The first Test is set to begin on Dec. 17 at the Adelaide Oval and will be followed by the Boxing Day Test at the MCG (Dec. 26-30). The last two Tests will be played in Sydney (Jan. 7-11) and Brisbane (Jan. 15-19).