Australia paceman Peter Siddle has been ruled out of the second Test in Hobart due to a back injury.  

After a lengthy time on the sideline for a back and ankle injury, Siddle was a surprise inclusion in the Test squad that faced the Proteas in Perth. The 31-year-old took three wickets against SA in their 177-run loss but a flare-up in his back will cause him to miss the second Test, starting on Saturday.

‘Peter Siddle had some lower back soreness at the conclusion of the first Test Match in Perth,’ said team Physio David Beakley.

‘Whilst we expect bowlers to be sore after Test matches, this was slightly worse than we expected. Scans showed some low-grade bone edema around his old stress fracture that is likely to be a flare-up of his previous lower back injury.

‘We are hopeful that this will resolve relatively quickly but we have withdrawn him from the squad for the second Test Match in Hobart.’

‘We will monitor his recovery and have a better idea of when he will return to play in the next week or so.’

After making his debut against South Africa in the ODI series October, Joe Mennie looks set to make his debut for the Test side as a replacement for Siddle. The 27-year-old took 3-49 in the deciding ODI in Cape Town which saw the Aussies lose the series 5-0.

Medium-fast bowler Jackson Bird has been placed on standby for the squad. The 29-year-old has 21 wickets in five matches at an average of 25.28.