Steven Smith absent for Australia net session after making adjustments

A spokesperson for CA said Smith was having a back pain massage

In a major departure from his usual routine, Steven Smith failed to appear for a regular net in Australia’s main training session before the first Test against India in Adelaide.

Smith’s only sighting in the afternoon was in the first warm-ups and on the field, but around 10 minutes after the session he gestured to the support staff and headed for the locker room, shaking his left arm as he advanced.

While the Aussie camp played down the issue, Smith did not reappear for a networking session in which coach and coach Justin Langer paid close attention to Joe Burns.

A spokesperson for the Australian team would only say that Smith had a sore back that he was receiving a massage and then added that he would train on the eve of the match, after pinching his back while bending over to pick up a ball.

Smith’s non-appearance added another layer of mystery to Australia’s already chaotic preparation for the series following a litany of injuries, compassionate leave and misadventures that so far have included David Warner (groin), Will Pucovski (concussion), Mitchell Starc (personal license). , Cameron Green (concussion) and even his nominal replacement Moises Henriques (hamstring).

Burns faced only one ball, played to the side of the leg, before receiving the first of a pair of pep talks in the middle from Langer, who then walked to the back of the net to watch the starter from behind the stumps.

The parallel net sessions of captain Tim Paine and fellow aspiring hitter Marcus Harris drew relatively little attention from Langer, who clearly wanted to support Burns every time he landed one cleanly in an extended season against James Pattinson and Michael Neser.

At the same time, likely rookie Green continued his steady progress back from a mild concussion in the SCG’s warm-up game against Virat Kohli’s tourists, bowling at a leisurely pace and then batting off takedowns and spin.

Green’s path to the game is clear, as long as he maintains his improvement in terms of the steps required by Cricket Australia’s medical staff and their concussion protocols.