The right-arm pacer had recently returned to bowling in Sydney after being ruled out of the start of the series following the hamstring injury he suffered against Victoria last month.
“Josh Hazlewood reported Achilles tendon pain this week during his rehabilitation from a recent hamstring injury. It is a low grade issue and he is expected to return to running and bowling next week,” said a statement from Cricket Australia as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Hazlewood was never a realistic contender to play in Adelaide, but he could now be in a race against time to be available for the Melbourne or Sydney Tests. It marks a continuation of a recurring pattern for the fast bowler in recent years, where secondary injuries tend to crop up immediately after returning from major injury, particularly calf and Achilles tendon problems.
In the 2022–23 season, Hazlewood suffered a side strain in the first home test of the summer and missed the next three matches before returning. However, he subsequently suffered persistent Achilles tendon problems after his comeback in early January, ruling him out of the entire tour of India in early 2023. He was also overlooked for the World Test Championship final in June as he was considered slightly short of full fitness.
Last summer, Hazlewood suffered another side strain during the opening Test against India and missed the second Test in Adelaide. After rushing back for the Third Test in Brisbane, he suffered a calf injury that forced him to leave the last two matches of the summer, the Sri Lanka tour and the Champions Trophy, before finally returning midway through the IPL.
From then on he enjoyed an uninterrupted run, including the IPL, the WTC final, three Tests in the Caribbean and all five white-ball series in various formats against South Africa, New Zealand and India, until his only Sheffield Shield appearance in the summer which led to the Ashes.
During that match, Hazlewood strained his hamstring while playing for New South Wales against Victoria. Although the initial scan failed to detect the injury and there were concerns about a tendon problem, Australian coach Andrew McDonald remained optimistic Hazlewood could play a role in the Ashes later. However, the latest setback, delays in his running and bowling workload due to Achilles pain, now reduces the chances of him featuring in any of the remaining Tests.
Australia’s speed was tested early in the Ashes, with Sean Abbott also sidelined with a hamstring injury. Pat Cummins was set to return for the Gabba Test but was instead postponed to Adelaide.
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