UPDATED: Australia’s first Test win over West Indies could potentially come at a cost after Usman Khawaja was floored by a Shamar Joseph bouncer and sent for scans post-match.
With one run to win, Khawaja copped the debutant’s delivery to the jaw and appeared to be spitting out blood.
Following a concussion test, he left the field with Marnus Labuschagne hitting the winning run.
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“I reckon it might’ve split his chin … there’s every chance that could do some serious damage to his jaw,” Australian cricket legend Brett Lee said on Fox Cricket.
“… that was a nasty bouncer.”
“Definitely would’ve shaken him up a bit,” Isa Guha added.
West Indies legend Brian Lara explained the short ball can come on differently for a bowler of Joseph’s stature.
“That’s the problem when you play against the shorter fast bowlers, they get it to skid on, they get it into the wicket, it’s not that bounce you get if it’s a tall fast bowler,” he said.
Post-game, Khawaja passed his concussion tests and will have another one in 24 hours. Cricket Australia confirmed he went to hospital for precautionary scans.
“He seemed OK, just a little bit of a sore jaw,” Australia’s captain Pat Cummins said in his press conference. “So we’ll monitor it, but he seemed OK.”
The next Test at Brisbane will start next Thursday.
Australia needed 26 runs to win in their second innings and managed to chase it down without losing a wicket, with Steve Smith finishing on 11 not out.
Day three started with the West Indies 6-73, trailing by 22 runs.
Contributions from Alzarri Joseph (16), Kemar Roach (11 not out) and Shamar Joseph (15) helped the side set a total as Josh Hazlewood ripped through their lineup to claim 5-35.
The fast bowler agreed he probably hasn’t bowled better.
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“I felt like I bowled just as well in the first half of the summer with not much result, the wickets have been really good,” he said post-match.
“I think playing with this attack I just feel like it’s just relentless, pressure just builds the whole time and someone picks up the wickets.”
After scoring 119 in Australia’s first innings, Travis Head finished player of the match.
