Veteran paceman Peter Siddle has been ruled out of the second Test with a back injury, meaning Australia may need to make three changes to the lineup that lost the series-opening match by 177 runs to South Africa. Cricket Australia said Siddle, who was coming back from eight months out recovering from back stress fractures, had aggravated his back problems. The 31-year-old paceman bowled 26 overs in the second innings in Perth as the South African batsmen dominated, taking 2-62. Jackson Bird has been drafted into the squad as standby injury cover. Uncapped Joe Mennie, who was 12th man in Perth, is another option to be called into the pace attack that is led by Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. "While we expect bowlers to be sore after Test matches, this was slightly worse than we expected and given that he was returning from a significant back injury," Australia team physiotherapist David Beakley said. "Scans demonstrated some low grade bone oedema around his old stress fracture that is likely to be a flare up of his previous lower back injury." Opener batsman Shaun Marsh broke a finger in the first test and has been ruled out of the series, while middle-order batsman Adam Voges sustained a hamstring injury while fielding. Joe Burns and Callum Ferguson have been added to the Australia squad as potential replacements. South Africa lost pace spearhead Dale Steyn to a right shoulder injury during the first Test, ruling him out of the series. Lehmann warns Aussies after Perth capitulation Australia coach Darren Lehmann warned his wounded squad "every spot is under pressure" for the second Test this weekend after their capitulation to South Africa in Perth. Depending on the Hobart conditions, spinner Nathan Lyon could be a casualty after he failed to take a wicket in South Africa's second innings at a cost of 146 runs. "I would say every spot is under pressure," said Lehmann, who is aware that the last time Australia lost four in a row, then coach Mickey Arthur got the chop. "That's the nature of the beast if you don't have success," he added. Captain Steve Smith is also under heavy scrutiny with Australian media blasting the team as a shadow of its former self with the skipper taking plenty of flak. The Sydney Morning Herald Tuesday trumpeted "Un-Australian: Sorry decline of Smith's team is shocking", while The Australian broadsheet said: "Hot breath of discontent on captain Smith's neck." "Darren Lehmann and Steve Smith are now under unprecedented pressure as the heads of Australian cricket following the humiliation at the WACA," said Sydney's Daily Telegraph cricket writer Ben Horne. "Australia have now slumped to four straight Test defeats and history suggests that when the Test side has entered this kind of losing red zone in the past, the men in charge cop the full extent of the fallout." Both teams are nursing some tired bowlers, with Australia's Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Siddle and Mitchell Marsh all "pretty sore". "I would imagine the South African boys would be the two bowlers that bowled the whole game for them (Kagiso Rabada and Vernon Philander)," said Lehmann. "All bowlers are going to be pretty sore and tight. We'll just have to see how they pull up and make a call from there. They (South Africa) will have the same issues." The South Africans have called up uncapped all-rounder Dwaine Pretorius for the final two Tests as cover for injured strike bowler Dale Steyn. Steyn is set to spend at least six months on the sidelines after breaking his shoulder while bowling in Perth. — Agencies
