Injured Australian opener Usman Khawaja is unlikely to bat on the ultimate day of the fourth Test in opposition to India.
Scans haven’t proven any conclusive damage after Khawaja was helped from the sphere by the group physician following a catching try gone fallacious on the boundary on Sunday.
“He did have a scan, which is standard procedure. The imaging did not reveal anything conclusive,” an Australian group spokesman stated.
“He has soreness in his left lower leg, just below the knee on the outside of the lower leg.”
The in-form opener had a protracted dialog with Australia coach Andrew McDonald earlier than the beginning of play and tried operating slowly on Monday’s fifth and remaining day of the Test.
Khawaja will proceed to be assessed once more by group medicos however it’s understood he’s solely an opportunity to bat once more if Australia turn into determined to avoid wasting the match.
He was off the bottom for nearly two hours on Sunday as India piled on 571.
Australia needed to face six overs earlier than stumps on Sunday however No.11 Matt Kuhnemann was despatched out as a nightwatchman to open with Travis Head as an alternative of Khawaja.
When Khawaja went down, the 36-year-old appeared to seize his knee.
It can be a mighty blow for Australia if Khawaja is unable to bat, after his marathon 180 within the first innings, one of many best knocks of his profession.
After having a troublesome first Test in opposition to India, Khawaja has hit again to be the main run-scorer on both group within the sequence with 333 at 47.57.
Australia’s hopes of levelling the sequence 2-2 appear doomed with solely India having an outdoor likelihood of successful the Test on the ultimate day.
But India allrounder Axar Patel stated “anything can happen” when requested if his group believed they might safe an unlikely victory and a 3-1 sequence end result.
“If we get two or three wickets early tomorrow, they might play defensive under pressure,” Patel stated, translated from Hindi.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
