Warner recovering from blow: Coach
SYDNEY: Australia opening batsman David Warner is recovering well after being struck in the neck by a bouncer from team mate Josh Hazlewood and should be fit for the upcoming two-Test series in Bangladesh, coach Darren Lehmann said on Wednesday.
The left-hander dropped his bat and slumped to his knees after an attempted hook shot went awry at Marrara Oval in Darwin on Tuesday, but quickly picked himself up and walked off the ground unassisted.
With the squad set to depart for Bangladesh on Friday ahead of the first test in Dhaka, which starts on August 27, Lehmann expected Warner to board the flight.
“He seems alright, walking around the ground today, so fingers crossed he’ll be okay and we’ll get an update in the next day or two,” Lehmann told reporters.
“It’s always a scare when that happens, isn’t it? Hopefully he’s going to be OK.”
Cricket Australia’s news site cricket.com.au said the lefthander had passed a concussion test and would be available for the tour of Bangladesh, but would sit out the rest of the intra-squad match in Darwin, Australia’s Northern Territory.
“It’s good that Davey’s fine,” pacemen Pat Cummins said after close of play Tuesday. “He’s a little bit stiff and sore, but speaking to him then, he’s all fine.”
Focus on player safety has been heightened since the tragic death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes.
Hughes, who played 26 Tests, died from bleeding on the brain in November 2014 after being hit on the base of the skull by a rising ball at the SCG during a domestic match.