Australia vs New Zealand: Lockie Ferguson ruled out of Perth Test on his debut due to calf strain

It was a debut to forget for Lockie Ferguson as he will no longer bowl in the ongoing first Test match against Australia in Perth. New Zealand speedster suffered a strained calf muscle during the course of the game and had to leave the field on an opening day after bowling only 11 overs. The scans and medical reports have confirmed his injury ahead of the second day of the ongoing Test.

Before the Day 2’s play, Black Caps confirmed that the speedster made himself unavailable for bowling but had expressed confidence that he will bat. With Lockie Ferguson currently out of the bowlers’ scheme of things, Kiwis will have to manage with the likes of Colin de Grandhomme, Jeet Raval and Mitchell Santner. With one bowler short in the team, these three bowlers are expected to swing their arms and bowl more overs in the Perth Test.

Lockie Ferguson is a doubtful starter for the rest of the Test series

It was a short stint that never really got going for Ferguson in the initial overs as he struggled to hit the right line and length before picking up the pace with the new pink-ball. The 28-year-old zipped the ball really well and almost picked a wicket on his debut as Tom Latham gifted life to Steve Smith by dropping a catch at second slip.

After bowling 11 overs, the bowler himself clutched his right calf before making his way back to the dressing room. He was then sent to a nearby local hospital to have an MRI scan and the reports confirmed his injury. New Zealand is yet to confirm Ferguson’s participation for the rest of the series. Needless to say, it is highly unlikely that he will be fit to feature in the three-match Test series against Australia.

The 28-year-old pacer has donned the New Zeland jersey in 36 ODIs. After breaking into the national side in 2016, Ferguson has scalped 67 wickets in 36 matches including a five-wicket haul.

“Gutting, ain’t it,” said his compatriot Neil Wagner after the first day’s play, about his teammate’s injury. “It’s just one of those things. It’s pretty heartbreaking for him. I know he’ll be devastated as well. We all obviously get right behind him … He’s a quality player and we would have loved to see him bowl more and see what he could have done.”

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