Usman Khawaja is being monitored for concussion after being struck in the face by a Shamar Joseph bouncer during the first Australia-West Indies Test in Adelaide today (January 18).
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Australia needed one for a win and Khawaja was on strike when a short ball directed at the helmet missed the grill and struck him on the right side of the face. The opener was seen spitting out blood and eventually walked out on advice from the doctor, retiring hurt on nine.
Cricket Australia later ruled out a broken jaw but Khawaja continues to be monitored for concussion. He passed the first concussion test and will need to pass another on Saturday to play the second Test on January 25. A statement read, “Usman Khawaja has been cleared of a fractured jaw but continues to be monitored for concussion symptoms.”
Khawaja also gave an update on his health after the win on Instagram. “Thanks for all the well wishes. I’m fine, just wanted Marnus to have a hit!”
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Skipper Pat Cummins said the camp will continue monitoring him but that he “seems okay”: “A little bit of a sore jaw. So yeah, [we’ll] monitor it but he seems okay.”
Khawaja, who has been in the news for his pro-humanitarian stance over the summer, made 45 in the first innings. Earlier in the game, West Indies had been bowled out for 188 on the first day before a counter-attacking hundred by Travis Head took Australia to 283. The visitors collapsed in the third innings of the match, getting dismissed for 120 and setting a small target of 26 for Australia, which they achieved without the loss of a wicket.
While Australia won the game convincingly, Joseph, whose bouncer injured Khawaja, was the star of the game. Making his Test debut, he got the wicket of Steve Smith off his very first ball and ended up taking a five-for. Joseph also scored 51 runs across the two innings while batting at No.11.
The second Test will start on January 25 in Brisbane.
