David Warner, the owner of 8158 Test runs, has been ruled out of the final two Tests for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy because of a hairline fracture on his elbow. He will return to Sydney to recover but is expected to be back for the three-match ODI series next month.

Warner suffered the injury on his left elbow after being hit by a Mohammed Siraj delivery during the first innings of the second Test in Delhi. Two overs later he was hit on the helmet and later suffered delayed concussion symptoms which ruled him out of the Test.

While his concussion symptoms have subsided, his elbow remains an issue.

“(Warner) will require a period of rehabilitation which will preclude any further involvement in the remainder of the Test series,” the team said in a statement. “It is currently anticipated that he will return to India for the three one-day Internationals which follow the Test series.”

Even before his injury, Warner continued to find the going tough in India, only managing scores of 1, 10 and 15 from his three outings. The three failures brought his average in India down to 21.78 from 19 Test innings.

In his absence, Australia opened with Travis Head in the second innings, with the batter scoring a brisk 43. Head coach Andrew McDonald confirmed on Monday that Head will stay on as an opener in the event of Warner missing out.

“We did discuss before coming over here that if we were to lose an opening batter then Trav would be one we’d look to put up there. We feel in the subcontinental conditions he can get off to the fast starts which he showed,” McDonald said.

“We don’t see (Head) as an opener in all conditions, more subcontinental and in other conditions back to the middle order.”

Cameron Green is expected to be fit to play in Indore. Australia have already lost Josh Hazlewood from the tour due to his nagging Achilles.

Mitchell Starc is set to be fit to play in Indore. Mitchell Swepson will also return to the squad having flown home for the birth of his first child.

Captain Pat Cummins flew home immediately after the Delhi Test for family reasons and is currently due to return later in the week. He too is expected to play in Indore though his situation remains fluid.

Written with inputs from Reuters

Hayden ready to fix flaws

Matthew Hayden.

New Delhi: Matthew Hayden is ready to help Australia solve their batting woes in the ongoing Test series if asked after the visiting side was bamboozled by the Indian spinners in the first two matches, according to a report.

Australia suffered heavy losses in Nagpur and New Delhi with Indian spinners, led by Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, scalping 32 of the total 40 wickets.

Hayden, commentating on the series for host broadcaster Star Sports, said he would happily put his hand up to help Australia’s batters tackle Indian spinners and he would do it for nothing.

“One hundred per cent, at any time of the day or night, it is a given that myself —and I’m sure I speak for anyone else that I represent that would have that kind of influence — would 100 per cent bein,” Hayden was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald. “Any time I have been asked to do anything I’ve always said yes at any time of day,” said the 51-year-old left-handed batter.

Former captain Michael Clarke has called for the visiting team management to use the expertise of Hayden, who had averaged 110 in the epic 2001 tour under Steve Waugh.

PTI