Melbourne, March 12 : Australian fast bowler Ryan Harris will have a "long rehabilitation period" after he underwent a knee surgery Tuesday. However, he is expected to be fit before the home Test series against Pakistan in October.

“Ryan underwent surgery yesterday on his right knee, which included a clean out of some loose bits of bone and removing bone spurs within the joint," Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said Wednesday.

“Ryan will be on crutches for a few weeks and we expect a long rehabilitation period. Hopefully for Ryan, he will be fit to play in the Test series against Pakistan later in the year but we will continue to assess his progress over the period.”

Australia will also host India after the Pakistan series towards the end of the year. (IANS)