Harris blow for Aussies
Australian fast bowler Ryan Harris looks unlikely to start in the
upcoming third and final cricket Test against Sri Lanka after scans
revealed a hamstring strain.
Harris had complained of a stiff right hamstring on the last day of
the drawn second Test in Pallekele on Monday and underwent scans when
the team drove to Colombo on Tuesday afternoon.
Australia, leading 1-0 in the three-match series, are unlikely to
risk Harris in the final Test starting at the Sinhalese Sports Club on
Friday, although the bowler himself is keen to play.
"I want to play as much as I can but I know I am a risk," Harris,
nicknamed 'Rhino' for his burly physique, told reporters after the
team's training session on Wednesday, which he missed.
He said he will leave the decision to captain Michael Clarke and the
team management, adding: "If Michael is happy to take me in with a
slight risk, I will give it 100 percent in what is a pretty big game. If
not, I will sit out and do as I am told."
The hamstring strain is the latest setback for injury-prone Harris,
who has been battling a chronic knee problem since his debut last year.
"It's disappointing because I have done a fair bit of work to be
strong again and something minor like this has upset it," he said.
The 31-year-old has been Australia's most successful bowler in the
series with 11 wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the first Test
in Galle that fashioned Australia's 125-run victory.
AFP
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