Hazlewood to miss Boxing Day, Siddle in the frame for recall

Australia coach Justin Langer has officially ruled paceman Josh Hazlewood out of the Boxing Day Test following the paceman's injury setback in the first Domain Test in Perth.

Scans revealed Hazlewood suffered a "low-grade hamstring tear" in the night session on day two at Perth Stadium having bowled just eight balls.

The 28-year-old is now racing against the clock to be fit for the New Year's Test in Sydney from January 3.

Langer said there was no clear frontrunner between James Pattinson and Michael Neser, the two reserve fast bowlers named in the Test squad.

"Without doubt, 'Patto' (Pattinson) and Michael Neser, they'll be in the squad 100 per cent and we'll look whether we replace Josh with another fast bowler," he said. "The obvious one would be Peter Siddle actually. He did a really good job in the Ashes, he's bowling very well for Victoria and it's at the MCG where he's played a lot of cricket.

"We'll see what happens the rest of this game and then make a decision.

"Anyone who knows Patto, you've never seen energy like it. He's got the drive. He's said after his back surgery he'll do anything to play Test cricket again. It's a real credit he's got back to that.

"Being a Boxing Day Test he'll be jumping out of skin to play."

The head coach said the selection panel would also consider drafting in allrounder Mitch Marsh if the Western Australian is fully fit.

Marsh broke his right hand early in the summer during a Marsh Sheffield Shield game and is expected to resume bowling in the opening games of the KFC BBL with Perth Scorchers.

"He (Marsh) played the last Test at The Oval and we know how good he is," Langer said. "We've just got to wait and see. He's back up and running, he's not bowled much so he'll have to get his bowling loads up and we'll see what happens.

"There's a lot of talk about allrounders but the truth is, whether it's a club side, T20 side, Shield side, they all want an allrounder but there aren't many of them around." 

With Hazlewood ruled out, former Test captain Ricky Ponting believes Pattinson should be picked on his home turf.

"James Pattinson is the obvious one to come in," Ponting told cricket.com.au.

"I think the Australians would have been tossing up whether to play Pattinson or Starc in the first Test in Brisbane and then 'Patto' ruled himself out with that suspension that he got.

"Neser has been around the squad but I think going into Melbourne, Patto's home ground, he's played a lot of cricket there, he probably understands the conditions better than Michael Neser does.

"He's the obvious one and I think he will play."

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