BIRMINGHAM, Aug 4: Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath was ruled out of the second Test against England on Thursday after suffering a freak injury while warming up for the Edgbaston match. McGrath, a key member of the world champions’ line-up and the Man-of-the-Match in the first Test, was taken to hospital after stepping on a cricket ball while preparing with the rest of the squad on the pitch.

He rolled over his right ankle and was clearly in considerable pain. McGrath had stepped on the ball while trying to catch a rugby ball, according to observers. After the hospital visit Australia team physiotherapist Errol Alcott told Channel 4 TV: “He’s had preliminary X-rays and there doesn’t seem to be any major bone problem but we’re waiting for a full report on that.

“Every ankle injury is different but it’s probably a grade two tear of his lateral ligament and maybe some associated bone bruising. We’ll just have to review him and see how he responds to the treatment.” McGrath had been helped on to a buggy by his team-mates and taken to hospital before it was announced he would not be fit to play with 10 minutes to go before the toss which Australia won and opted to bowl.

This was the second time in the last three Ashes Tests that McGrath had been out of action after missing the final match of the 2002-03 series in Sydney where England won by 225 runs. At Lord’s, where Australia won the first Test by 239 runs, McGrath — a veteran of 110 Tests — became the fourth bowler to take 500 Test wickets.

He joined team-mate and leg-spinner Shane Warne, retired West Indies quick Courtney Walsh and Sri Lanka off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan as the only men to have reached the landmark.—Agencies