Australia's Green ruled out of Sydney Test with broken finger

Australia all-rounder Cameron Green will not bowl for the rest of the second Test against South Africa in Melbourne and has been ruled out of the third and final match in Sydney to recover from a broken finger, the team said on Wednesday.

Green was struck in the right index finger by an Anrich Nortje ball and retired hurt late on day two at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

"You try to not show the pain straightaway," Green told cricket.com.au. "I marked my guard again and walked a couple of steps, and I was like 'I reckon my finger is out of place here'.

"I checked on it – it looked a little bit inverted is the only way I can explain it. It already had a big cut in it, then I got the bad news after the scan."

Green, who was picked up for $2.12 million in the recent Indian Premier League auctions by Mumbai Indians, took a career-best five-wicket haul in the first innings at the MCG on day one.

He returned on Wednesday to bat, contributing an unbeaten 51 with a broken finger as he became the first Australian in four years to notch a fifty and a five-for in the same test.

After finishing the Melbourne Test, Green will have a period of rest ahead of the tour of India in early February, the team said.

"I'm going to do as much as I can to get it right and try to go to India," said the 23-year-old.

"A lot of people talk about the tour to India, how tough it is mentally and physically. It's going to be a massive tour for us. We're as best prepared as we're ever going to be, so (I’m) looking forward to it."

Meanwhile, a maiden century by wicketkeeper Alex Carey pushed Australia closer to a series-sealing victory in the second Test as South Africa's batsmen were left with a mountain to climb at the end of a rain-hit day three on Wednesday.

The Proteas were 15 for one, still needing 371 runs to make Australia bat again, when play was stopped seven overs after tea at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and later abandoned.

With Carey scoring 111 and all-rounder Cameron Green contributing an unbeaten 51 with a broken finger, the hosts piled on the runs before declaring at 575 for eight under gathering clouds.

South Africa captain Dean Elgar was then caught behind for a duck off the bowling of home skipper Pat Cummins, continuing a dismal series for the seasoned opener.

Opener Sarel Erwee was seven not out and number three Theunis de Bruyn was on six, the latter having been dropped by David Warner in the slips off Cummins.

With drizzle falling and the ball skidding on a damp pitch, Erwee and De Bruyn headed off gratefully when play was halted.