Cameron Green misses Australia's first Test in Durban with an abdominal strain

Australia will start their World Test Championship series in South Africa without Cameron Green, who has not recovered from the abdominal strain he suffered in the final one-day international

Coach Andrew McDonald confirmed on Tuesday that the all-rounder will play no part in the first Test, which begins at Kingsmead in Durban on 9 October.

Green was hurt while batting in the third one-day international in Potchefstroom and sat out the two-day tour match that followed. He has remained with the squad and kept training, but not at the load three weeks of Test cricket would ask of him.

"He's progressing pretty well, all things considered, on the back of the injury that he had to his abdominals," McDonald said, adding that "there's still optimism that he'll take part in the series at some point".

A strain no one saw coming

The injury came in one of the odder passages of the one-day series. Green was struck by a beamer from Corbin Bosch, hit the next ball for six over the leg side, then gloved an attempted pull to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock.

It was the stroke rather than the blow that did the damage, and the diagnosis took time to settle.

"It had our medical team scrambling," McDonald said. "There's not a hell of a lot of evidence in these injuries in cricket."

The coach said the medical staff had identified the muscle as a stabilising one rather than a rotational one, which he framed as the better of the two results for a batter hoping to play later in the series.

Unlikely to bowl again on tour

Even if Green is passed fit for the second or third Test, McDonald said it was highly unlikely he would bowl, calling the risk too high against the shoulder trouble the all-rounder has managed through the white-ball leg.

That narrows what he can offer. A fit Green would return as a specialist batter rather than as the fourth seamer who lets Australia carry an extra batter.

It also removes the obvious reason to rush him. With a path back open for Gqeberha or Cape Town, the selectors can afford to wait.

A vacancy at number five

Cooper Connolly and Nic Maddinson are the two candidates for the spot Green vacates, with Travis Head expected to open and Alex Carey to bat at six.

Beau Webster gives the selectors an all-round alternative if they would rather keep a fifth bowling option in the side.

Either way, Australia go into a series opener against the world champions with an unsettled middle order, which is not where Pat Cummins would have chosen to start.

Australia are a keeper short as well

Josh Inglis is also unavailable in Durban after fracturing his right index finger, an injury that had already ended his one-day series and sent him home for scans.

He is named in the touring party from the second Test onwards, leaving Carey to keep wicket at Kingsmead.

Australia's squad for the series is captained by Cummins and includes Scott Boland, Sam Harper, Josh Hazlewood, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc.

A series that resumes an argument

This is the first Test between the sides since South Africa beat Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord's, and the hosts arrive having taken the one-day series 2-1.

The second Test follows at St George's Park in Gqeberha from 18 October, with the third starting on 27 October.

The first Test begins at Kingsmead on 9 October, with Australia's number five still unresolved.

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