For the first time in Test cricket, a retired hurt batsman returned to bat replacing another batsman who was forced to retire hurt. The rare incident took place during the third day’s play of the Australia and Sri Lanka second Test at Canberra. While it was a refreshing sight to again see Dimuth Karunratne walk out with a bat in his hand, nobody expected that he would replace Kusal Perera, who too had to retire hurt after being hit on the head like Karunratne a day earlier.
Both Perera, who resumed on 11, and Dhananjaya de Silva, on one overnight, took blows to the head in the opening two overs of the Day 3.
In the 53rd over, Perera was hit flush on the helmet ducking into a Richardson ball on 27.
The neck protector flew off and a Sri Lankan physio rushed to his aid. He continued and added two more runs only to call the physio again four balls later.
Once again he opted to bat on but was clearly feeling the effects and was helped off the field soon after. He stayed at the ground monitored by medics, but did not play again.
Ironically, the courageous Karunaratne replaced him after being declared fit again after being felled by a brutal bouncer on Saturday from Cummins.
He had laid prone on the ground for at least 10 minutes before being stretchered off in a neck brace, but after a hospital check was cleared of concussion and given the OK to resume his innings.
The opener returned on 46 and smacked a four to bring up his 22nd Test 50 before being caught at gully by Patterson off Starc after adding nine more.
He was out just three balls after de Silva bizarrely hit his own wicket while attempting a pull shot off Starc. As his bat swung around it took one of the bails off and he was gone for 25.