All-rounder Aaron Hardie ruled out of Australia A's tour of India

Melbourne, Sep 11 (PTI) All-rounder Aaron Hardie has been ruled out of Australia A's upcoming tour of India due to a shoulder niggle, adding to a growing list of players who will be skipping the assignment due to injuries.

Victoria all-rounder Will Sutherland will replace Hardie and join the squad for the second of the two four-day matches in Lucknow.

Sutherland was already a part of the one-day squad for the tour and will now also feature in the second game in Lucknow. A replacement for Hardie in the one-day squad will be named at a later date.

"It is hoped that Hardie will be able to recover in time for the early rounds of Sheffield Shield matches — Western Australia's opening game is against New South Wales at the WACA on October 4," a report in ESPNcricinfo said.

Hardie is the latest addition to the list of injured Australian players, which includes Lance Morris, Brody Couch, and Queensland fast bowler Callum Vidler — all of whom have been ruled out with various injuries.

While Hardie is more of an all-rounder than a specialist bowler, his injury only adds to Australia's already depleted fast-bowling stocks ahead of the tour.

Hardie was part of the recent T20I and ODI series against the West Indies and South Africa but had a tough outing against the latter. He was subsequently left out of the squad for the short T20I tour of New Zealand and was instead named in the Australia A side.

His availability for the upcoming white-ball series against India will depend on the progress of his recovery.

Prior to Hardie's withdrawal, Australia A had already lost Vidler from the white-ball series, and Morris and Couch from the red-ball leg of the tour of India, which starts on September 16, due to injuries.

Vidler was diagnosed with a partial stress fracture, Couch suffered a side strain, while Morris is expected to miss a year of cricketing action after undergoing back surgery.

Last week, Australia's premier fast bowler Pat Cummins was ruled out of the senior team's upcoming white-ball fixtures against New Zealand and India after scans revealed a lumbar bone stress injury in his back.

The 32-year-old later said it would be "devastating" if he missed the first Ashes Test, scheduled to begin on November 21 in Perth, Western Australia.

During the tour, Australia A will play two unofficial Tests and three unofficial ODIs.

Updated Australia A four-day squad: Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Fergus O'Neill, Oliver Peake, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Liam Scott, Will Sutherland (second game only), Henry Thornton.

Updated Australia A one-day squad: Cooper Connolly, Harry Dixon, Jack Edwards, Sam Elliott, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Mackenzie Harvey, Todd Murphy, Tanveer Sangha, Liam Scott, Lachie Shaw, Tom Straker, Will Sutherland, Henry Thornton (one to be added). PTI ATK PM ATK PM PM