Matt Kuhnemann doubtful for Sri Lanka Test tour after sustaining thumb injury during BBL game

Australia's Test team has faced a setback ahead of their upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, as left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann’s participation is now in serious doubt due to a thumb injury. Kuhnemann, who was recalled for the tour, sustained the injury while playing for the Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash League (BBL) on Thursday night, potentially preventing his plans for the Sri Lanka trip.

The incident took place during a match when Kuhnemann was fielding a straight drive from Hobart Hurricanes' Matthew Wade off his own bowling. Kuhnemann was visibly affected by the pain as he was forced to leave the field mid-over after injuring his non-bowling right thumb. Marnus Labuschagne, a teammate in both the Heat and the Australian Test team, spoke about the same.

"I just heard about Matt Kuhnemann, so that's pretty bad. Thumb it doesn't look great. I really feel for him. It's someone I'm close to and he's grown so much with his bowling and in Sri Lanka, he's probably one of the first picked over there. I'm really gutted," Labuschagne said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Despite the injury occurring just days before the Australian team was set to depart for a pre-Test training camp in Dubai, Kuhnemann's injury remains unclear. His absence could create an opening for alternative spinners, and the team may have to consider late replacements for the tour.

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Meanwhile, the spinner was expected to feature in the squad following a strong performance in Australia’s 2023 tour of India. In those matches, he proved effective in the subcontinent’s conditions, picking nine wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the second Test at Indore.

However, with Kuhnemann potentially sidelined, the Australian team may turn to other spinners in their arsenal. Right-arm off-spinner Nathan Lyon and Todd Murphy are already part of the squad, and young allrounder Cooper Connolly, who is also a slow left-arm orthodox bowler, may be called up as a surprise debutant. Despite having no first-class wickets to his name, Connolly is highly regarded by interim captain Steven Smith.

There are also several uncapped spinners in the mix, including West Australian offspinner Corey Rocchiccioli, New South Wales legspinner Tanveer Sangha, and Queensland’s Mitchell Swepson, all of whom could be in contention should Kuhnemann be ruled out.

After limited opportunities in Queensland's Sheffield Shield team, Kuhnemann moved to Tasmania for this season and has been in outstanding form. With 18 wickets in just six matches, he is the highest wicket-taker among spinners in the competition. 

"You can't put your finger down on one thing; you need different options because in the subcontinent, you hit one good sweep and there's two or three guys out there. So you trust your defence, trust your sweep and your game and mix it all together," Labuschagne added.