India vs Australia | Usman Khwaja suffers meniscal tear, in danger of missing India series

10/19/2018

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Australia suffered a huge injury blow on Thursday as Usman Khwaja was sent for scans following his awkward knee twist in training. The left-handed batsman would require a surgery to fix it, which makes his return date indefinite with just one month left for India’s big tour down under.

With the Kangaroos facing yet another precarious position in the Test series against Pakistan, they are unlikely to get the services of their savior from the last match. It was during a training drill in Australia’s warm-ups on Thursday that Khawaja incurred the injury that led him to be sidelined for the day’s play. Though Australia, at 155/7, would be forced to ask for a limping Khwaja’s contributions at the face of a defeat, the left hander is hardly expected to repeat his first Test feat.

With the Test series looking all but done, Australia have three T20Is left against Pakistan before they head back and prepare for India’s long tour starting from November 21, which will include three T20Is, four Test matches and three ODIs. And already weakened by the suspension of Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, Khwaja was the last name Australia had wanted to miss out on.

Given the left-hander’s injury history, he doesn’t look to be ready for the big tour. Though reports confirmed that the batsman hadn’t re-torn his anterior ligament, which had kept him out for as many as seven months in 2014, his meniscal tear would require surgery. As per medical science, if one has regained motion and strength with the knee not swollen or painful, return to heavy sports would take four to six weeks. Otherwise, Khwaja is expecting a three to six months sabbatical here.

Khawaja has been Australia's leading batsman during the two-Test series with 226 runs and his knock of 141 runs in the first Test to save Australia from the throes of defeat has been considered one of the best innings in recent times. A better Australian batsman of spin bowling, the team would desperately need him against the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Kuldeep Yadav, which is looking improbable now.

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