Thaindian News

Sydney, Dec 15 (IANS) Australia’s opening batsman Shaun Marsh is considering to go under the knife within the next three-four months to alleviate a disc swelling in his spine and get his career back on track.

The batsmen is struggling to get fit for the four-match Test series against India that starts with the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Marsh suffered a back injury in the Cape Town Test against South Africa and said having a surgery is the best way to prevent a break down again. Marsh has been plagued with injuries in his short career. The opener suffered a similar back injury a year ago against Sri Lanka and has also been through recurrent hamstring injuries.

“If I ever have to get an operation done on my back if it goes again within the next three to four months, I’d probably look to get it done over the IPL (Indian Premier League). I would do anything to extend my Test career for as long as possible,” Marsh was quoted saying by the Sydney Morning Herald.

Australia team physio Alex Kountouris who has been working a double shift with a string of injures hitting the national side said Marsh’s injury is concern.

“Shaun has had this back injury two or three times now, so we are obviously conscious of trying to minimise the risk, but when you are in the game, things happen and it’s hard to control sometimes. It has to be managed, but that is like anything. If you have a hamstring strain, you have got to manage that forever because the biggest predictor of getting an injury is having had one before. Once you have had something there is obviously a particular reason why you have had it or a weakness,” he said.