Local media reports said the pair were being checked for hamstring issues, though neither Cricket Australia nor Cricket NSW confirmed the nature or extent of the injuries. Both players exited the Sydney Cricket Ground mid-match, sparking concern ahead of the first Ashes Test in Perth, which begins on November 21.

Australia are already without skipper Pat Cummins, who has been ruled out of the series opener due to injury, leaving the pace attack thin on experience and fitness. Veteran seamer Scott Boland is expected to fill in for Cummins, joining Mitchell Starc and, fitness permitting, Hazlewood in the bowling lineup.

Losing Hazlewood, 34, would be a significant blow to Australia's plans. The right-arm quick, who is just five wickets short of reaching 300 in Test cricket, has been a central figure in the national side's attack for over a decade. He recently told the Australian Associated Press (AAP) that he felt in "the best shape" of his career after battling intermittent injuries over the past few seasons.

"I feel in the best shape I've been in a long time," Hazlewood said earlier this week. "Over the last four or five years, I've had a lot of confidence. My numbers suggest that. Just staying on the park, probably since COVID, has been hard."

Abbott, 32, who claimed 4-18 before leaving the field, was named in Australia's 15-man squad for the Perth Test as a reserve fast bowler. His availability is now uncertain, adding to the selectors' worries, with uncapped Brendon Doggett the other pace option in the squad.

Australia's current Test group is among the most experienced in the world, featuring 14 players over the age of 30. The attack includes Mitchell Starc (35), Scott Boland (36), and Nathan Lyon (38), while Cummins, at 32, is one of the younger members of the lineup.

Reflecting on the squad's experience, Hazlewood said the close-knit unit had built a deep understanding over years of playing together. "We bounce off each other out there and know each other's game so well. There'll come a time no doubt when the team is too old, but I don't think it's yet," he said. "We've been together a long time, taken a heap of wickets, and we know how to help each other when the rhythm's not quite there."