Warner formally ruled out of Boxing Day Test, not to be inducted into Melbourne bubble

A Cricket Australia spokesperson has formally clarified that David Warner will not be inducted into the Melbourne bubble due to bio-security restrictions for people returning from Sydney.

Yesterday, reports emerged that Warner has not fully recovered from a groin injury suffered in the ODI Series against India and would not have been available for the second Test but he was supposed to be with the team in Melbourne. Although Cricket Australia have managed to bring the opener to the city, it has now emerged that he will not join the team till the Test match ends on December 30.

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“David Warner and Sean Abbott will rejoin the Australian men’s Test squad ahead of the third Test against India,” a CA spokesman said, reported ESPN Cricinfo.

Warner, Abbott not to be inducted to bubble

“Warner and Abbott spent time in Sydney outside the team’s bio-secure hub to recover from injury. While neither player has been in a specific ‘hotspot’ as outlined by NSW Health, Cricket Australia’s biosecurity protocols do not allow them to rejoin the squad in time for the Boxing Day Test.”

Recently, the Northern Beaches of Sydney saw a fresh outbreak of COVID-19 cases which resulted in a lockdown in the city. Although border restrictions haven’t been issued yet, the safety of all concerned has taken priority for the Australian board.

The second Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy is slated to begin on December 26 in Melbourne and Australia will play the Test with the more or less same combination as they fielded in Adelaide.