Steve Smith has been ruled out of the rest of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s after suffering a concussion.
The Australia batsman was struck on the neck by a Jofra Archer bouncer on Saturday while on 80.
He subsequently left the field to undergo concussion tests before returning to bat. He was cleared to return to the field of play and was eventually dismissed for 92.
Marnus Labuschagne has been confirmed as Smith’s concussion substitute, and will be available to bat should he be required to.
A statement from Cricket Australia said: “Steve has been closely monitored by medical staff overnight and this morning reported that after sleeping well, he woke with ‘a bit of a headache and a feeling of grogginess’.”
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Smith underwent another test this morning that showed a delayed concussion. The statement from CA added: “Cricket Australia statistics show that 30 per cent of concussion in Australian cricket are delayed. It is not uncommon for players to pass their tests and feel well on the day of an injury and then display symptoms 24-48 hours later.”
Smith’s fitness will be assessed on an ongoing basis ahead of the third Ashes Test at Headingley, set to begin on August 22, with CA adding that “the short turnaround to the next Test is not in his favour”.
