Ashton Agar became the fifth Aussie bowler to suffer an injury in Tuesday's opening ODI and is now sweating on scans to see if he will be fit to play a part in the Test series
Agar joins bowling brigade of walking wounded
Ashton Agar has joined the walking wounded on Australia's tour of Sri Lanka, with the visitors now hoping their latest bowling casualty will not have his Test preparation compromised.
Agar bowled (and later batted) through a side complaint during the Aussies' tight two-wicket win in the first ODI in Kandy, marking the latest disruption to a trip that has seen five bowlers go down in the space of 10 days.
The severity of the injury will be determined on Wednesday but he looks certain to miss Thursday's second ODI at the least and could be pushing time to be fit for the ensuing two-Test series if it is confirmed as a strain.
Without Agar, Australia have just five fit specialist bowlers in the ODI squad with Sean Abbott (finger), Mitchell Starc (finger), Mitch Marsh (calf) and Kane Richardson (hamstring) all suffering injuries in Sri Lanka.
The Aussies' sense of humour has at least remained intact: Marcus Stoinis joked that their physio might be required to send down some overs.
"Who knows why they're happening," Stoinis told cricket.com.au. "It's just a part of things I think and a lot of us have been on the road for a long time.
"Little things like being in different beds, being away from home for a long time and quarantines and isolations – maybe that's part of it.
"It's not ideal but it gives opportunities to other people and we'll have to figure out how to play these games (undermanned)."
With Adam Zampa missing the series due to the recent birth of his first child, Mitchell Swepson now looks certain to add to his two ODI caps in the coming days and could be joined by another greenhorn.
Left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, last season's leading Sheffield Shield spinner, would mark a like-for-like replacement for Agar if required.
The Queenslander is currently in Hambantota playing four Australia A in a four-day match and was the side's leading bower in last week's 50-over games, both in terms of wickets and economy rate.
Australia will be sweating on the timeframe for Agar's recovery, not just for the remaining one-dayers but also for the Tests in Galle where the Aussies are expecting to encounter dusty, spin-friendly surfaces.
Four weeks is the typical recovery time for a side strain; that timeline would rule him out of the start of the Test series beginning later this month.
Australia must work out how to cobble together four more lots of 50 overs in the meantime.
Their quicks could at least get some respite. Sri Lanka played three spinners on Tuesday and Australia are expecting pitches to take more turn as the series goes on, particularly for the final three games in Colombo.
Starc and Marsh could return for the second one-dayer, but captain Aaron Finch flagged before the series that they were more likely to return for the ensuing game in Colombo.
Cameron Green, who is being carefully managed, is also not available to bowl in a game until the third ODI, but Scott Boland has arrived having been rushed from the Australia A squad.
Sri Lanka may have their own injury worries to consider with Glenn Maxwell suggesting Wanindu Hasaranga, who starred with both bat and ball at the Pallekele Stadium in the first ODI, may have hurt himself during the match.
Agar has not played a Test since 2017 and lost out to Swepson to be Nathan Lyon's sidekick in Pakistan earlier this year but, if fit, will be in the mix if two finger spinners or even three specialist spinners are desired against Sri Lanka.
Offie Todd Murphy and leggie Tanveer Sangha are the other spinners in Sri Lanka with the Australia A squad. All three of Murphy, Sangha and Kuhnemann are uncapped at international level.
Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka, 2022
June 7: Australia won first T20 by 10 wickets
June 8: Australia won second T20 by three wickets
June 11: Sri Lanka won third T20 by four wickets
Sri Lanka ODI squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Niroshan Dickwella, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Ramesh Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Praveen Jayawickrama, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lahiru Madushanka, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan
Australia ODI squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner
June 14: Australia won by two wickets (DLS)
June 16: Second ODI, Kandy, 7pm AEST
June 19: Third ODI, Colombo, 7pm AEST
June 21: Fourth ODI, Colombo, 7pm AEST
June 24: Fifth ODI, Colombo, 7pm AEST
Sri Lanka Test squad (provisional): Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya De Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, Dinesh Chandimal, Chamika Karunaratne, Ramesh Mendis, Mohamed Shiraz, Shiran Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lakshitha Rasanjana, Praveen Jayawickrama, Lasith Embuldeniya, Suminda Lakshan
Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner
June 29 - July 3: First Test, Galle, 2.30pm AEST
July 8-12: Second Test, Galle, 2.30pm AEST
All Sri Lanka v Australia international fixtures will be screened live on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports
Australia A fixtures
Australia A squad: Scott Boland, Aaron Hardie, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nic Maddinson, Nathan McAndrew, Todd Murphy, Jimmy Peirson, Josh Philippe, Matt Renshaw, Tanveer Sangha, Mark Steketee
Sri Lanka A one-day squad: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Niroshan Dickwella, Lahiru Udara, Lasith Croospulle, Oshada Fernando, Pabasara Waduge, Kamindu Mendis, Ashen Bandara, Janitha Liyanage, Sahan Arachchi, Pulina Tharanga, Dunith Wellalage, Dananjaya Lakshan, Shiran Fernando (will not play due to injury), Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan, Nishan Madushka, Ashen Daniel,Nisala Tharaka
June 8: Australia A won by seven wickets
June 10: Sri Lanka A won by four wickets
June 14-17: first-class tour match v Sri Lanka A, Hambantota
June 21-24: first-class tour match v Sri Lanka A, Hambantota