Star opener David Warner and pacer Sean Abbott were on Wednesday ruled out of the second Test against India, beginning at MCG from Saturday, because of a mix of injuries and Covid-19 protocols.
Both Warner and Abbott were outside the team’s bio-secure hub to get treatment for their respective groin and calf injuries.
“While neither player has been in a specific ‘hotspot’ on Sydney’s northern beaches as outlined by NSW Health, Cricket Australia’s biosecurity protocols do not allow them to rejoin the squad in time for the Boxing Day test,” CA said in a statement. “The pair travelled from Sydney to Melbourne to continue their rehabilitation given the changing public health situation in Sydney at the time.”
Warner still hasn’t recovered fully from the groin injury, sustained during the ODI series, while Abbott has recovered from a calf strain but he is unlikely to break into a playing XI that beat India last week.