Shock for Australia, star player suffers calf injury before Sydney Test against India

According to the ICC, Australia's batting depth has taken a hit as backup keeper-batsman Josh Inglis will not be available for the final Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against India due to injury. Inglis injured his calf while sub-fielding on the second day of the fourth Test at the MCG, with a Cricket Australia spokesperson confirming that the 29-year-old will be ruled out of the final India series in Sydney. Australia will announce Inglis' replacement ahead of the fifth Test starting on January 3, while the hosts are confident he will be available for next month's tour of Sri Lanka which will include two Tests as part of the ICC World Test Championship series .

“Josh Inglis suffered a lower calf strain while fielding on the second day of the fourth Test against India and will leave the squad for rehabilitation. Replacements in the squad for the fifth Test in Sydney will be announced in due course “It is expected that Inglis will be available for Australia's tour of Sri Lanka following the home Test series,” the ICC statement quoted Cricket Australia as saying.

While Inglis is yet to make his Test debut, he has played over 50 white-ball matches for Australia and was a key member of the team that won the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup in India last year.

Good form at the domestic level has seen Inglis's Test shares rise and the right-hander is in contention for his first cap in Melbourne before star batsman Travis Head proves his fitness for the match.

Currently, with the BGT series level at 1-1, both sides will be playing the much-awaited Boxing Day Test with an eye on securing the all-important series lead needed to push the case for the ICC World Test Championship final.