Australia have secured a 10-wicket victory over the West Indies in the first AUS vs WI Test at Adelaide Oval, sealing the win before lunch on the third day. However, the triumph was not without a concerning incident as opening batter Usman Khawaja endured a frightening blow to the helmet from West Indies' debutant pacer Shamar Joseph. The ball struck Khawaja's helmet around the jaw area, resulting in him spitting blood.
During the morning of the third day of the first Test, West Indies' debutant Shamar Joseph left a significant impact by delivering a bouncer that struck Khawaja's helmet while he attempted to evade the delivery. Amidst expressions of concern from the West Indies team, a doctor promptly rushed onto the field as Khawaja, visibly distressed, assessed the impact on his upper jaw and cheekbone area. The veteran opener, after spitting blood, retired hurt by holding the left side of his cheekbone allowing Marnus Labuschagne to score the winning runs.
Here's the video of Shamar Joseph's bouncer:
Although Khawaja initially passed the concussion test, he went to the hospital for further scans. “He seemed okay, just a little bit of a sore jaw. We’ll monitor it, but he seemed okay,” Australian captain Pat Cummins said of Khawaja after the match as per Fox Sports.
“Unfortunate, he bit his tongue as well. Let’s hope he’s okay, no one wants to see a guy get injured playing this game that we love,” stated West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite after the match.
Later in the afternoon, Cricket Australia took to their social media handle of X (formerly Twitter) to confirm that Usman Khawaja has been cleared of a fractured jaw. However, he will continue to be monitored for concussion symptoms.