SYDNEY — Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has been ruled out of the fourth and final Test against India with hamstring soreness, Cricket Australia said Sunday. Johnson, 33, who bowled long spells during the first three Tests against India, had some right hamstring soreness during the Boxing Day Test and had not fully recovered since then, CA physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said. “As such, he will not play in the upcoming Sydney Test match. We expect him to recover in time to play a part in the upcoming Tri Series against England and India,” Kountouris said. Coach Darren Lehmann said he did not want to take any risks with Johnson as he was a key part of Australia's summer season. “We want him 100 percent right so won't be taking any risks with him,” Lehmann said. “We believe it is best for Mitchell to take this opportunity to freshen up and get his body fully fit ahead of the Tri Series.” Johnson missed a training session with the rest of the team in Sydney Saturday, media reports said, adding that he had stayed instead at their hotel for treatment. Australia's squad includes fellow left-armer Mitchell Starc and Peter Siddle as potential back-up pace bowlers — along with Ryan Harris and Josh Hazlewood. Kohli's aggression adds spice to final Test Virat Kohli's pressing task as the new Test skipper is to arrest India's woeful away record, starting with Tuesday's final Test against Australia in Sydney. Kohli assumed the mantle as India's new captain following the sudden Test retirement of Mahendra Singh Dhoni after last week's Melbourne Test, opening debate on whether his aggressive approach will energize the team. India has already lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy with Australia holding an unassailable 2-0 lead heading into the fourth Test, but there is much interest in how Kohli's volatility will impact on the team's fortunes. India has won only one of its last 22 Tests overseas and have been successful in only one of its 10 Tests at the Sydney Cricket Ground, that sole victory coming 37 years ago. Kohli has been tagged a firebrand, a “spoilt brat” but has been long viewed as the natural successor of Dhoni, who was the most successful Test match skipper in India's history, winning 27 of the 60 Tests he led with 18 losses and 15 draws. Now that Dhoni has moved on, India's immediate Test future lies in Kohli's hands and it will be a fascinating sub-plot to this week's Sydney Test. Australia will be weakened by the loss of ICC Cricketer of the Year and pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson with hamstring trouble, opening the way for Kohli and his other in-form team-mates Murali Vijay and Ajinkya Rahane to get among the runs again. All are averaging above 58 in this series, with Kohli matching his Australian counterpart Steve Smith with three centuries, and only brittle tail-end batting has been the key difference between the two sides. “Captains have their own personalities and the best ones make players adapt to their thinking and methods,” India team director Ravi Shastri said. “That's his personality. He is aggressive, passionate and wears his heart on his sleeve. But he's also prepared to walk the talk. “Remember also, he's only 26 and still getting used to captaincy. With a little luck, the (series) scoreline could well have been different. This is a young team that has acquitted itself very creditably.” — Agencies
