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Australia skipper Pat Cummins on Friday gave a major update on Usman Khawaja's fitness after a bouncer from West Indies pacer Shamar Joseph struck him on his chin, saying the opener 'seemed fine'.
On the third day of the first Test match between Australia and West Indies, with the hosts chasing a mere 26 in their fourth innings for a win at the Adelaide Oval, the southpaw was forced to retire hurt with a blow to the chin. The hosts, however, cruised to a facile win with Josh Hazlewood and Travis Head starring with the ball and bat. However, in a bit of an anti-climax for the hosts, the left-handed Khawaja was struck by a bouncer by Windies speedster Shamar Joseph on the third ball of the seventh over. After the match ended, Cummins opened up on Khawaja's injury saying that he has a "little bit of a sore jaw" and his condition will be monitored before his availability for the next Test is determined. "He seems okay. It's a little bit of a sore jaw. So yeah, [we'll] monitor it but he seems okay," Cummins was quoted by ESPNcricinfo as saying. According to ESPNcricinfo, Cricket Australia confirmed he passed an initial concussion test in the dressing room but had been sent for an x-ray, and possibly a CT scan if needed, to check there was no structural damage to his jaw. Earlier, Hazlewood's career-best haul of 9-79 in red-ball cricket guided the Aussies to a thumping 10-wicket victory in the first Test over the Caribbeans at Adelaide. The Caribbeans resumed the third day at 73/6, still trailing by 22 runs. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood combined to bag three wickets in six wickets to hasten the visitors' demise. Debutant speedster Shamar Joseph showed some skills with the willow in the end, as he found the ropes thrice and showed composure while wickets tumbled all around him. He looked good for more but the wily Nathan Lyon got the better of the 24-year-old. West Indies were rolled over for just 120, thereby setting the hosts a paltry target of 26. (ANI)
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