Cameron Green Still Has Not Batted as Australia Sweat on All-Rounder's Fitness for Gqeberha Test

Australia's selectors are in no mood to settle anything just yet — not the batting order, and not Cameron Green's place in it. Head coach Andrew McDonald revealed on Thursday that the 27-year-old all-rounder, who missed the series-opening 214-run win in Durban with an abdominal strain, still has not picked up a bat ahead of the second Test at St George's Park in Gqeberha, starting Sunday.

"Cam hasn't started batting yet, he's done some physical (work)," McDonald told reporters. "So he's got a few things to go through in the next three to four days."

The uncertainty extends to the batting order that delivered the Durban triumph. In a surprise move, selectors sent Nic Maddinson out to open with Travis Head in his first Test in nearly a decade, while Matt Renshaw — an opener by trade — slotted in at number five. The gambit worked spectacularly: Renshaw carved a match-winning 190 and followed it with a quickfire 82, while Maddinson chipped in 48 in the second innings.

McDonald insisted no template is sacred. "Every time that we plan out an opponent (and) surface, we're really open-minded to what our batting order can look like," he said, adding that defined roles matter less than matching the conditions in Gqeberha.

The approach drew fire from Steve Waugh, who urged the panel to "pick and stick" and keep Renshaw at number five rather than shuffling him again. There was better news on wicketkeeper-batter Josh Inglis, who is further along in his recovery from a broken finger after net sessions during the Durban Test. Australia lead the three-match series 1-0.